Back in 1995, Tin Whistle Brewing became the 12th brewery to open in British Columbia.
The Penticton brewery is still going strong three decades later as it dives into its 30th birthday celebrations.
“This year is going to be one big celebration,” says Tim Scoon, co-owner of Tin Whistle.
A big part of that celebration will be the release of 12 limited edition 30th birthday beers, the first of which Tin Whistle dropped on Friday.
It’s called Ancient Grain Lager and it’s made with 100% Canadian grains. That includes ancient rye grain, one that’s rarely used in beer.
“This beer will give us a chance to showcase some of the incredible grains that have been grown here in Canada by local farmers for centuries, and to really let them shine,” explains another Tin Whistle co-owner in Alexis Esseltine.
She calls the Ancient Grain Lager “bold,” “crisp” and “refreshing,” and “different in a really good way.”
It comes in at 5.2% ABV (alcohol by volume) and 23 IBU (international bitterness unit).
According to Scoon, the limited edition, small-run beers will be brewed and released monthly throughout the year.
“We dug into the Tin Whistle archives to bring back long lost recipes, and looked deep into beer history to bring light to fascinating styles that are uncommon, but oh so delicious,” he says.
“And we’ve looked ahead to what we think beer can be with new ingredients and approaches to brewing. You won’t want to miss a single one.”
Scoon and Esseltine are Penticton residents who proudly live, shop, supply and love the South Okanagan city.
They’re also very proud of the fact that Tin Whistle is BC’s first and only carbon neutral brewery, meaning their brewery and packaging operations send zero waste to the landfill.
Tin Whistle beers, including the Ancient Grain Lager and future limited edition 30th birthday beers, are available at the brewery’s Penticton taproom as well as private and government liquor stores throughout the Okanagan and Kootenays.
Josh Duncan is the NowMedia news director and a craft beer lover. Reach him at [email protected]. His beer column appears every Saturday afternoon in this space.
