Hannah Irvine visits Rossland and Salmo for a weekend of hikes, beers and relaxation.
The May long weekend is the undisputed unofficial start of the summer in BC. In the Okanagan, it’s the date when old-timers deem it safe to plant out tender seedlings, restaurants and breweries start to set up their patio seating, and the seasonal wineries and cideries open their doors for the summer season. It also seems to be the first major camping weekend for many, and while I prefer my accommodation to be a little more luxurious than a tent these days, the promise of warm sunny days ahead has me itching to go on an adventure.
This “May Long” my husband Tom and I chose the West Kootenays to be the focus of our adventure. We know (and love) the popular destination of Nelson very well, but this time we wanted to explore a new area, so we opted to stay in Rossland, a little further south.
Rossland is a city, but in name only, and all the better for it. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in character. This cute mountain town has a fascinating heritage that is reflected in the buildings and statues in the diminutive downtown area. The main street is lined with beautiful heritage buildings, all of which have plaques detailing their history. For a self-confessed history nerd like me, this was heaven; the stories give the town a sense of place and add to a sense of connection with the area.
Rossland is known for its outdoor activities, with Red Mountain Ski Resort on its doorstep and over 200km of hiking and biking trails surrounding the town. Despite arriving in a snowstorm (I think someone forgot to tell Mother Nature that this was supposed to be the start of summer!), we had missed the ski season, but we were looking forward to exploring the trails with the dogs and rewarding ourselves with a well-earned beer afterwards.
Beer in Rossland means one thing…. the Rossland Beer Company. Founded in 2012 by two childhood friends, Petri Raito and Ryan Arnaud, this local hub is right in the heart of the town, both literally and figuratively. Petri told me that they both love Rossland, feeling lucky to have their business in this “little slice of paradise,” and this appreciation of the town is obvious in the brewery they’ve created. I’d been following the brewery’s social media pages prior to the trip and I love their close connection with the community. Their sponsorship of local athletes, promotion of other local businesses, collections for the food bank, and helping with maintenance of local trails all demonstrates a commitment to their hometown. This is clearly more than just a brewery.
We visited the taproom on the Saturday evening of our stay, and it is exactly what a mountain town brewery should be — rustic, friendly and comfortable. The wooden décor echoes the forests that encompass the area, while the wall art showcases the local natural environment. Even the light fitting, which is made of skis, reflects the outdoorsy vibe of a mountain town. Don’t go there expecting the airs and graces of a fancy city bar; instead, you can expect to find a warm, welcoming space, where locals and visitors alike congregate to share stories and enjoy a beer together — a home from home.
Tom and I settled down with a flight apiece and were delighted with the seven beers on tap that day. These are all well-crafted and delicious brews, suggestive of an experienced and talented brewer at work here. The Genuine Draft was a malty delight, while Uncle Vinny’s Cream Ale was as smooth as silk, with notes of vanilla.
The New Zealand Pilsner was faithful to the style with a fresh herbal, almost grassy taste, and the Best Day Ever had the characteristic flavours of an IPA, but was smooth, well-balanced, and accessible. My favourite had to be the Red Zeppelin Raspberry Wheat Ale, with all the distinctive flavour of a wheat beer combined with a subtle hint of raspberry — not too sweet, not too tart, but a delicious beer with fruit notes, rather than a fruit drink. We couldn’t leave without taking a few beers to share with friends back home, so we bought some cans of the sublime Green Jacket Pale Ale and a crowler of Uncle Vinny’s before bidding farewell.
Our home for the weekend was in the aptly named Happy Valley, right at the head of a vast trail network. We awoke on Sunday morning to a damp, misty day, but after two hours of hiking through lush forests, we were rewarded with the sun breaking through the clouds to reveal glimpses of mountain tops and spectacular scenery.
It was still too early for a beer (even for us!) so we refuelled at The Alpine Grind Coffeehouse with freshly brewed coffee and the most divine scones I’ve ever tasted, before heading over to check out the Rossland Museum and Discovery Centre.
The museum is on the Kootenay Rockies West Ale Trail, and when we looked around it became evident why — Rossland has a rich tradition of craft beer, and the museum has a whole exhibit dedicated to the business of brewing. The exhibit features a detailed history of the town’s breweries, artifacts including old barrels and taps, historical photos, and even a recreation of a bar. The highlight for me, however, was the wall of back-lit glass bottles, which included beer bottles from Victoria Brewing Company, alongside bottles from the pre-prohibition Rossland breweries. The museum is much more than beer though; it’s huge and covers Rossland’s fascinating history from the early gold rush boom years to the more recent incarnation of mountain sport resort town.
By the time we dragged ourselves away from the museum, lunch was fast approaching. The sun had now come out in full force and it was a beautiful day for a drive, so we set off along the Columbia River towards Salmo. Erie Creek Brewing was our destination and as we sat down to tasty pizzas and a couple of flights, we were very happy with our choice.
Salmo is a tiny village with barely over 1000 residents, but in 2020 Colin and Lynn Hango saw the need for a community hangout and decided to open a craft brewery there. With a stage at one end of the tap room, posters advertising live music and open-mic nights, an inviting fireplace, and a foosball table, the vibe the Hangos have created at Erie Creek Brewing is certainly one of a welcoming local hub.
The building that houses the brewery was once a bank, complete with a bank vault which has now been turned into a cozy snug — perfect for those snowy winter days. The website states that they have “No crazy brews, just easy drinkers that will leave you asking for another,” and that was reflected in the flights we sampled. There are no gimmicks here, just clean, refreshing crowd-pleasers, ranging from the crisp Victory Pilsner to the approachable Erie Mist IPA. Our favourite was Cold Waters Kolsch, and we left Erie Creek with a six-pack to enjoy in the hot waters of the spa later that evening.
Our time in the Kootenays was too brief to visit all the of breweries in the area, and we were disappointed to miss Trail Beer Refinery (this brewery is closed on Sundays and Mondays so plan accordingly if you’re thinking about visiting) and Tailout Brewing in Castlegar. Thank goodness for the well-stocked liquor store in Rossland then, which allowed us to sample a few beers from the other superb local craft breweries from the comfort of our vacation hot tub. We are already planning a return trip to visit these breweries in person, and maybe check out one of the numerous festivals that take place in the area during the summer. The Beer Goggles Craft Brew Festival, held at Red Mountain Resort on 6th July, was being advertised during our stay and certainly piqued our interest. Maybe that’s the weekend we should return.
