Meet the brewers behind your favourite tipples at Kamloops’ craft breweries that are ideal for after an adventure fueled day - perfect indoors or on a sunny patio [dreaming of summer]. Here's the inside scoop.
Bryan Craig and Tyler Windsor,
Bright Eye Brewing
Bryan and Tyler - Bright Eye Brewing
Bright Eye Brewing is named after its two brewers, Bryan Craig and Tyler Windsor (Br Ty). These childhood friends shared an obsession with craft beer that took them on regular jaunts to the US and Vancouver. Here they discovered amazing IPAs at Vancouver’s Callister Brewing co-op when they tried Machine Ales (now Superflux, regarded as one of the best IPA makers in Canada). “We brewed every Friday night, after our kids went to bed, for nearly five years, until the brewery opened in October of 2019,” says Bryan. “Our friends and neighbours would pitch in on ingredients in exchange for a share of the resulting nectar. A few years into our homebrewing venture, we met with local friends Mitch Forgie and Richard Marken and told them about our plans to open up a brewery. They jumped in and things moved very quickly after that!”
Nick Murphy,
The Noble Pig Brewhouse
Nick Murphy - Noble Pig
Nick Murphy found his taste and passion for craft beer working at The Longwood Brewpub in his hometown of Nanaimo. “Although I was primarily working as a prep-cook at The Longwood, I was introduced to the world of crafting beer by working alongside the brewers on a daily basis,” says Nick. “I still remember asking the brewmaster, ‘What does it take to become a brewer?’. The answer given is one that most brewers can relate to: ‘Get really good at cleaning anything that is stainless’.” Nick then started dabbling in homebrewing and ended up helping his friend Matt Beere (and Matt’s dad Craig) open Beere Brewing Company in North Vancouver. Nick gained experience brewing at a commercial scale and inspiration from the creativity of the Vancouver industry, before life and love led him to relocate to Kamloops and join The Noble Pig Brewhouse.
Nick Serbedzija & David Beardsell,
Red Collar Brewing Co.
Nick Red Collar Brewmaster
Red Collar’s David Beardsell has been brewing since the early 90's when he trained to be a brewmaster at the prestigious Doemens Academy in Munich. He worked in Germany, England, and Southeast Asia before returning to Canada and taking a brewing position at Okanagan Springs. He moved to Kamloops in 1994 and opened Bear Brewing, taking a break from the brewing scene when it was sold in 2002. He returned in 2010 to open the Noble Pig, before leaving in 2014 to open his own brewery, Red Collar. Be sure to say hi to Nick Serbedzija, who has recently joined the Red Collar family as Head Brewer to assist with Brewmaster Dave!
Al Renner,
Alchemy Brewing Company
Al Renner - Alchemy Brewing Company
Al Renner, Alchemy Brewing Company's brewer, attributes a lot of his success to his construction background, but he’s always had a creative artistic side. Al spent two years reading everything he could and watching hundreds of hours of YouTube videos before brewing anything. He began by building a homebrew system and gas-powered heat table to learn about thermodynamics and temperature regulation involved in brewing and then created his own draft system by adding a temperature controller to an old freezer. “Only after I had thought my way through every aspect of my home system did I start brewing,” Al says. “The first batch I did was called Doomsday IPA and it was a shock how good it came out. After that I spent the next four years brewing beer and making BBQ for friends and family gatherings - I was always being asked who trained me and why was the beer so good.”
Aaron MacInnis,
Iron Road Brewing
Aaron MacInnis - Iron Road Brewing
Iron Road Brewing’s brewer Aaron MacInnis previously brewed at Main Street Brewing under Jack Bensley. “Cutting my teeth in Vancouver was tremendous for learning many things quickly,” Aaron says. “Vancouver’s brewing scene is very supportive and very friendly. Competition is really against the big guys, not so much the other craft breweries that you find yourself drinking at regularly.” Drink up the good vibes this spring with Aaron’s new release Link & Pin German Pils, which is the next installment of their German-style series of beers. Containing German pilsner yeast, German hops, and pilsner malt, this beer is more diligently hopped than Iron Road’s typical lager, which is Czech style, so it tastes clean and a little more hop-forward. Pair their Pils with a taco off their street taco menu, as a bomber to go, or get it home-delivered on Fridays if you're local to Kamloops.
Get ready for Spring with a few brews as a post-adventure treat. Rediscover your favourite brewery and explore a new selection of sips and flavours.