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Kamloops is the perfect halfway point on a road trip to the Canadian Rockies from Vancouver. The hidden gem of BC has a number of incredible hikes, and a rich history to boot. But did you know that they have also some amazing craft beer there? Join me on my Kamloops brewery tour of the very best craft beer the town has to offer.
A glass or two of local beer is the ideal way to end a day of outdoor fun. While Kamloops is often just seen as a brief stop on a British Columbia road trip, it really is worth lending a bit more time to. Spend a few days, get to know this welcoming town.
Planning your Kamloops brewery tour
If I can recommend anything it’s to start with some of the breweries further out of Kamloops like Bright Eye or Iron Road. Then end in the town where there’s plenty of dining and drinking options. And most likely where your hotel will be (I stayed at the Plaza Hotel).
Most you don’t need a reservation for, and they are often first come first served. But you might want to check their websites in advance and make a reservation if possible if there’s one you particularly want to dine at.
Red Collar Brewing Co.
- Location: Downtown Kamloops
- Food: Sandwiches and comfort snacks, including bowls of cereal and instant ramen
- Seating: Indoor and outdoor
- Table service: No
- Recommended: Blonde Belgian Ale, Kamloops Common lager, Dubble Belgian Trappist ale
- Non-beer drinks: Non-alcoholic beer, mocktails, cider, wine, kombucha and soft drinks.
Red Collar is not on the main street like a lot of other places in Kamloops, but it’s only a block or two away from the other downtown breweries. Their large taproom is the perfect place to start for a mid afternoon cold beer on a hot day.
Order at the counter and find a place to sit at one of the large tables in this living room-esque taproom filled with plants. Or sit outside in their courtyard on a nice day.
They had a seasonal Peach Witbier one summer I was there which was really refreshing. But their Dubbel Dark Belgian Ale was really good for something different, Another seasonal beer when we were there was the Sour Cherry which was just as fun and delicious as it sounds.
Insider tip: Check out their cool street art mural out in the back alley, a homage to their name.
The Noble Pig
- Location: Downtown Kamloops
- Food: Heck yes, try the fried pickles, spanakopita dip, or pulled pork mac & cheese
- Seating: Indoor and outdoor
- Table service: Yes
- Recommended: Stick House Belgian Pepper Ale, Big Bad Wolf IPA
- Non-beer drinks: Full bar service including wines, soft drinks and cocktails – try their fabulous Caesars!
The Noble Pig is an institution in Kamloops. This gastropub is not only the pinnacle of downtown Kamloops dining, but the beer is pretty awesome too. This place gets busy, especially since it’s located right on the main street of Kamloops, Victoria Street, next to The Thompson Hotel (that’s how I first discovered it). But the wait is worth it.
This is the place you want to make sure you are at in time for your dinner (or lunch). Family favorites kicked up a notch are the specialty here. Try some grown up mac and cheese, my personal favorite the Intergalactic pretzels or a hearty burger. Plenty of veggie options too.
As for beer, their selection might not be as vast as some of the others, but what they do, they do well. Oh yeah, and most of the names are pig themed which is kind of fun. From the Big Bad Wolf IPA to the Straw House lager. If you’re looking for a classic tasty, refreshing lager, you can’t go wrong with that.
Bright Eye Brewing
- Location: Kamloops North Shore
- Food: Yes, plenty of vegan friendly options
- Seating: Indoor and outdoor
- Table service: Yes
- Recommended: Dexter oatmeal stout, Tropic Topic sour with passionfruit and guava, Juice Springsteen IPA
- Non-beer drinks: Cider, craft cocktails, wine and soft drinks including non-alcoholic beer
While this place might not be downtown, Kamloops isn’t too spread out so it’s only a few minute taxi ride over to the North Shore. And there are transit options too if you want, that will only take about 10 minutes. It’s worth the trip.
This brewery has some great beer and fantastic food. We started with some little pretzel bites which come with a delicious ale queso dip and maple mustard (I’m all about the pretzels at breweries). Then I had one of their regularly changing, but hearty, salad which was so good.
The taproom is quite large and there is a decent sized outdoor seating area also. Their beers are light and refreshing, fruity and fun. Try some of the delicious ales or fruit sours which are currently my go to summer beer. There is also some interesting artwork and designs around this Kamloops brewery.
Iron Road Brewing
- Location: Southgate, near TRU
- Food: Yes, tacos are the highlight here
- Seating: Indoor only
- Table service: Yes
- Recommended: Boomer Wild Ale, Irondinger German Pilsner, and watch out for their seasonal saisons
- Non-beer drinks: Cider, wine, non-alcoholic beer
You might find this brewery a little busier, despite the fact it is not in downtown Kamloops. That’s because it’s located very close the the Thompson Rivers University, a 10 minute cab ride or 25 minute bus ride from downtown.
They have some wicked Mexican inspired food. Tacos, empanadas, nachos, and you’re not going to want to leave without some churros. This is great casual dining in a brewery that also celebrates the the great rail roads that Kamloops is known for, so expect a bit of train themed décor. I personally love trains, so I really liked this place.
The tacos are great and as a vegetarian I appreciate that they’ve really expanded their menu in the last few years to give more options. Or you could just eat all the churros!
The beer here was some of my favorite. The fruity juice train sour beers are incredibly flavorful, and the saisons are really good too. We found Iron Road beer in a lot of other restaurants and bars so if you can’t make it here, you can still try some of their beer at other locations listed on their site.
Alchemy Brewing Company
- Location: Downtown Kamloops
- Food: Yes, the pizza is a winner!
- Seating: Indoor and outdoor
- Table service: Yes
- Recommended: Many of their seasonal beers like summer Bluebird blueberry lavender sour, Gingerbread Man winter ale, Sugarbush red maple ale
- Non-beer drinks: Cider, wine and sodas
In my personal opinion I’m saving the best Kamloops brewery until last. The downtown location of this place makes it really unavoidable if you’re in Kamloops, located right next to The Noble Pig. But unlike the Noble Pig, we didn’t have issues getting in here and their outdoor area is great on a summer evening. The food was so good, simple pub fare and reasonably priced. The pizza was so good, but it was big so I ended up having to take half of it home.
But the beer selection is where it’s at. There are lots of very different types of beer here. As the name suggests, they really tow the line with some of their flavor concoctions, but it all works. I’m always one for a flight of beer so I can try different kinds, but usually I end up with an underlying theme. Not here.
Fruity wheat beer, dark beer, English ale, lager and sours. The only thing I’m not a fan of usually is IPA yet I happily sipped on the delicious (possibly seasonal) Borderlime milkshake IPA. Oh yeah, and if you loved the street art of Kamloops then the fun continues inside Alchemy with the colorful murals on the walls.
The best beer in Kamloops
There are a number of other great bars and restaurants in Kamloops to try, but I highly recommend you try at least a couple of the Kamloops breweries. The unique flavors they’ve created mean there really is something for everyone. And most of the breweries we went to also had ciders on tap and other drinks for those non beer lovers.
Enjoy a simple weekend in Kamloops. A hike, finding some cool street art and a lot of great beer. Each time I’ve driven over to the Rockies I stay for at least a night, but it’s also a great place to go for a long weekend from Vancouver, only a few hours drive.
If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Are you a beer lover? What’s your favorite? Tell me if you have a favorite Kamloops brewery
Wow! I don’t even drink beer but these photos make me thirsty! I’ve pinned so all those beer fans out there can find your post!
You actually made my mouth water for beer and I’m pregnant lol. What a great little place.
Even though neither of us drinks, the FOOD looks delish! We would absolutly venture out to Kamloops for the overall vibe of the city and the eats. Sometimes you find the coolest spots end up being breweries and bars.
I’ve found that a lot of the breweries out here use fresh organic local juices in some of their Radler beers (beer/juice mix) so you can often get some great virgin cocktails using these or the straight up juice too for people who don’t drink or if kids are visiting with the adults
Love this post and the fact that you wrote a recommendation for the food and drink. Reading this post makes me grab a beer! Thanks for sharing
I’m doing a lot of local travel this summer too. And it turns out it’s great. I’m such a beer tourist, I enjoyed looking through this even if I never go to Kamloops. Come try the craft beers of New England something. You won’t be disappointed.
my friend lives over that way and is always posting what looks to be amazing beer. When we can travel again I’d definitely want to do that
Thanks for sharing, these look interesting places, I don’t drink beer, but all the food looks yummy 🙂