BC’s original craft distillery, Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery, is thankful for the support received through the darkest of the COVID-19 times and is delighted to greet you in person once more.
Tyler Dyck, CEO of Okanagan Spirits and president of the Craft Distillers Guild of BC, said, “We are grateful for the support received through online sales and felt privileged to produce and donate hand sanitizer in the first months as we navigated our way through the pandemic as a community.”
Named Distillery of the Year and World-Class Distillery with a total of nine gold, four silver and one bronze medal at the 2020 World Spirits Awards, Okanagan Spirits also gained some good will with its “Harness Your Superhero” hand sanitizer program.
“We’ve had people visit our distilleries in Vernon or Kelowna to say they hadn’t heard of us before and now wanted to support us through buying our local products for personal use and for gifts,” Tyler noted.
In-Person Experience the Best
“Okanagan Spirits staff are over the moon to be able to entertain and inform people in person about our many farm-to-bottle products,” Tyler said. “We’ve learned to do things differently through these months and are even more thoughtful and deliberate as we share the story of our brand.”
Roughly 30 to 40 per cent of the tastings and in-person experiences are pre-booked to enable staff to take it slower and give participants time to think about their questions. On the other hand, Tyler explained, Okanagan Spirits remains welcoming to walk-in guests. “We don’t want to take away that magic of discovery visitors experience in finding us on their travels.”
Knowing Where Your Drink Comes From
Just like recognizing the terroir of wine or where your food is grown, knowing where your drink comes from is becoming increasingly important to the consumer. Tyler acknowledged Okanagan Spirits’ partners, such as food and beverage establishments and retailers, for helping tell their story and for truly championing value-added, locally produced goods, which has further helped them through the challenges presented by COVID-19 restrictions.
For more information visit okanaganspirits.com.