Travelling between Kelowna and Calgary? Skip Highway 1 and take the tastier route via the Kootenay Rockies East Ale Trail on your next BC road trip.
My partner and I seem to find ourselves road-tripping across Highway 1 from Vancouver to Calgary for the Stampede yearly. Not because of any incredible love of rodeo, midway rides or country music, but because we have three-year-old twins. Grandma and Grandpa live in the northwest of the city, so we have a certain obligation to bring their only grandchildren over for a yearly visit. It’s a long drive, and one we’ve gotten a little tired of.
But then a thought crossed our minds. What if we made our trip home… even longer? Perhaps it was time to take the scenic route for this year’s BC road trip: Highway 3 and the Kootenay Rockies East Ale Trail. Starting at the BC-Alberta border, this winding highway cruises through dozens of small mountain communities home to some lesser-known but supremely delicious breweries.
Calgary to BC via Highway 3
If you know anything about travelling with toddlers, you know that regularly scheduled pee-breaks and leg stretching times are mandatory. Taking this route through the Kootenays means you’ll pass through a dozen remarkable towns, and a dozen more “blink and you’ll miss ‘em” villages. These just so happen to be almost perfectly spaced apart to sync with a three-year-old’s capacity for boredom, and many are home to some fantastic breweries. We planned out our trip with some key stops, then felt the excitement build as we approached a new adventure.
We miraculously hit the road at about 7:45 in the morning, Grandma’s goodbye tears still freshly wet on the kids’ sweaters. After a quick stop for A&W in Fort Macleod, we headed west and into the foothills of the Rockies. After so many miles driving straight lines, the change in scenery is something to behold. The monotony of gold grass and yellow canola gives way to rolling hills cut through with meandering rivers. Clusters of dozens of spinning white windmills crest every rise, the sheer scale of them making you feel insignificant until you realize they’re dandelions compared to how big the mountains you’re heading into are. Before long you cross through the gargantuan boulders of Frank’s Slide, and cross from Alberta into beautiful British Columbia.
Sparwood and Fernie: First Stops in the East Kootenays
Our first stop that morning was unplanned. Turns out Sparwood, BC is home to the world’s largest truck, and there was no way our utility vehicle obsessed son would ever forgive us if we didn’t pull over immediately. That quick distraction out of the way, we took on Fernie, a beautiful little ski resort town that I can’t help but imagine is what Whistler looked like thirty or forty years ago. Sadly, we arrived too early to do a stop at Fernie Brewing Co., which wasn’t quite open in time for our visit. We’ll have to make a point to visit them on our next BC road trip. After a quick walk up and down the main street, we were back in the car and driving an hour to Cranbrook for lunch and our first brewery.
Encore Brewing in Cranbrook
Opening the doors to Encore Brewing, you’re immediately greeted with a welcoming feeling of retro nostalgia. Wood panelling married with stripes of primary colours leads you past the entry and into the spacious main hall. Even at the crack of noon on a Wednesday, the place was buzzing with activity. Families with young kids like ours were enjoying the many games on offer. We heard the clack of skee balls, the crack of pool cues, and the bright chimes of arcade cabinets. Encore also features a full 8-lane bowling alley that was bright and inviting, but we were here for some lunch and a tasting flight.
After setting the kids up at a table with a giant Connect-4 set to keep them busy, my partner and I split a tasting flight of Liftoff Lager, Peachy Keen IPA, Retro Wave West Coast Pale Ale and Wolfbird Maple Saison. The Liftoff Lager was nice and clean-tasting, with just enough hop character to give it some interesting bite. I was told that the Peachy Keen IPA is Encore’s best seller, and it was a very juicy number. With a strong peachy nose, it had a pleasant bitterness that I find is often lacking in a lot of hazy IPA’s. I thought it was quite delicious, but with a higher ABV and the need to drive relatively soon, I limited my indulgence to just a few sips. Saisons are not typically a beer I like, but I did enjoy the sip or two of Wolfbird I had. It lacked the sort of gym-socky dankness that I get with a lot of Saison. For whatever reason, the aroma of maple that greets your nose reminded me of the smell of Canadian ten dollar bills, which was another fun hit of nostalgia. For me, the standout was the Retro Wave. It had a delightful resinous, piney hop character that reminded me of a more mild version of Driftwood’s ubiquitous Fat Tug.
Just as our twins were beginning to understand the concept of getting four in a row, our food arrived. First was a cheese pizza that was anything but plain. Featuring a sourdough crust, Encore’s pizzas reminded me of classic bready bowling alley pizza, but more refined. I’m a bit of a pizza snob (yes, I do own an Ooni), but the pizza was thoroughly enjoyed, with a side of creamy pesto dip, by the whole family.
Hungry from the long morning, I also indulged in a sandwich with the Jersey Shore Meatball Dip. The meatballs were fantastic, with pepperoni and mozzarella mixed into the mince, all on top of a saucy bun, and a nice smokey vinaigrette for dipping.
However, the standout was actually the mac and cheese we ordered for the kids. It was wonderfully creamy, and every spoonful was stringed with ooey gooey cheese. The kids actually found it a bit advanced for their palates, but my partner and I didn’t care too much, as it meant more for us.
All in all, Encore is a wonderful space that the community of Cranbrook is lucky to have. This brewery almost felt more like a third space, a community living room. It has clearly become part of the heart of Cranbrook since opening in 2023, and I expect it will be around for many more years to come. We likely could have spent hours here entertaining our twins, but our BC road trip called us on.
Wild North Brewing Co. in Creston
A short hour and fifteen minutes down the highway, we arrived in Creston, BC, and our brewery stop at Wild North Brewing Co. The brewery rises over the highway, and features a lovely curved architectural overhang that makes it stand out amongst Creston’s older buildings. With nap time approaching and a trip to the grocery store still in order, we unfortunately didn’t have much time to stay.
I grabbed some cans to go, but after mentioning our brewery-centric travel plans, I took a moment to have a brief chat with brewery owner Lisa. She and her husband Craig opened the brewery in 2021. As lifelong Creston residents, there was nowhere better on earth to open their brewery, despite the looming shadow of the macro-beer competition. Looking out the front windows, she pointed to the stainless steel towers of the Labatt Brewing fermentation tanks full of Kokanee. She said Creston was a special place to be home to such polar extremes of beer culture. Sending us on our way with an extra can of local favourite Pilot Bay Hazy IPA, our family continued our BC road trip.
Camping and Craft Beer in Salmo
Pulling up at our camping spot in Salmo after another hour in the car, I was certainly happy to have a can of Wild North’s Lost Creek Lager to help with the unpacking and setting up. It had a light malty character that made it perfectly refreshing after a day of driving. I could see myself bringing an entire 4-pack on a future camping trip.
Later on around the fire, I was happy to have selected a Downtown Honey Brown Lager. The honey malts went perfectly with a burnt marshmallow on a s’more. Normally I don’t go for burnt marshmallows, but it was my daughter’s first time cooking one, so I had to cut her some slack. I capped off the night with a Wild North Darkwoods Porter. I’ve been a sucker for good Porters lately, and this one had the perfect dry, rich flavour that I look for in beers of this style.
Christina Lake to Kelowna via Highway 33
The next morning, we left our campsite bright, early and itchy from mosquito bites. Today there would be less opportunity for brewery stops, but we made time for a swim and a kabab at Christina Lake, before passing through Castlegar, Grand Forks and Rock Creek, where we cut up Highway 33.
If you enjoy driving, this stretch of highway is a treat. The mountain scenery is dramatic and wild. We were lucky to have sunny, clear skies, because while I was able to enjoy driving the tight turns, steep hills and cutaway cliffs, I could see it being a terrifying experience during a foggy autumn or stormy winter. As it was, I thoroughly enjoyed cruising through the sparsely driven mountain passes. However, as we finally began the descent into Kelowna, my partner was starting to feel the corners a bit in the pit of her stomach.
Barn Owl Brewing in Kelowna
Arriving in Kelowna just in time for dinner, and before we stopped in at the other grandparents’ house, we decided to cap off the trip with one more brewery visit to Barn Owl Brewing. I’m well familiar with this space, and it’s always one of our favourite spots. Growing up in Kelowna, the barn that now houses the brewery was derelict, a relic from a pioneer past. Since opening as Barn Owl in 2019, the area has become a thrumming heart of the Lower Mission community. When you visit, come hungry, as there’s also the attached Milk Shed Coffee House, nearby Mission Creamery Ice Cream, and a rotating stable of food trucks.
On this visit, we enjoyed Little Tokyo Ramen, but frequent visitor Mystic Pizza is one to look out for. I paired my bowl of Ramen with a crisp Lakeshore Lager. The clean, crisp taste didn’t get in the way of the rich broth, but was a nice cleanse between slurps. My favourite offering from Barn Own is always the Bohemian Red Pilsner. I love how the biscuity taste complements the pilsner malts, and it’s a pretty unique beer that I haven’t been able to find a good comparison for elsewhere. Cap the visit off with a creamy Wise Owl Nitro Stout, and you’ll have a fine conclusion to your days of travel.
All in all, the Kootenay Rockies East Ale Trail made for something special. While we normally try to make the trip home as quickly as possible, by taking our time and enjoying the scenic route, we had a far more memorable family adventure. The beers we met along the way were an added bonus, and made for the perfect rest spots along a winding trail. We’re already planning our stops for the trip back next summer.
Planning a BC road trip? Find more spots along the Kootenay Rockies East Ale Trail.
Every Pint Tells a Story
