New vegan brewery opening across the bridge from Kelowna
The foundation of the Westside’s latest brewery is about to be poured.
Owners and Westside couple Rebecca and Colton Ashon, of Connector Brewing, have high hopes to open their completely vegan brewery in the spring of 2023 on Carrington Road.
In the last several years, the former Lower Mainland couple have been following B.C.’s brewery scene, touring the province and connecting with people in the tasting rooms, Colton said.
“So when we moved to the Okanagan in 2020, it was a combination of our love of nature and the environment and those memorable encounters we had in these tap rooms that ultimately inspired us to want to share the experience with our new community on the Westside.”
Previously, Colton took brewery courses at Simon Fraser University and the University of Vermont. For this business venture, he dug out an old business plan he created and revamped it, he said.
At the same time in 2021, they found an industrial warehouse that would suit their brewing needs, “so the pieces just started to align,” he said.
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The brewery still will need to be approved by the Westbank First Nation and get a liquor license but the development permit already allows for a micro-brewery on site.
“It’s incredibly exciting, this is a big project for the two of us,” Colton said. Inspiration for vegan dishes and beer were drawn from the couple’s experience in the Lower Mainland and Okanagan.
“We felt this was one way to really work with the community and show them this is something easy that everyone can enjoy,” he said.
The beer recipes are still being developed but they’re trying to create a beer menu with familiar styles like American light lagers and keeping beers below 6% alcohol content and experimenting with flavourful beer with an alcohol content as low as 3%.
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“The idea is folks can come in and enjoy some with food and still be able to continue on with their day,” he said.
Once constructed, the brewery will overlook Mission Hill Winery and Okanagan Lake, he said.
The 3,800-square-foot building will contain a tasting room on the ground floor and will also be able to hold private events and showcase local artwork, he said.
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