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Penticton’s thriving craft brewery scene is about to expand.
Michael Coghill, the founder of Yellow Dog Brewing Co. in Port Moody, has confirmed his company will be opening a new craft brewery on the lot he recently purchased at the corner of Westminster Avenue and Winnipeg Street, only a stones-throw away from Bad Tattoo Brewing Company.
Coghill said he and his wife Melinda frequent Penticton on a regular basis as they have owned a home in Naramata for many years.
He had been looking for a good location in the downtown core for some time and is thrilled to have found and purchased the lot that will be home to his new craft brewery.
The building, which was home to a flower shop and restaurant, was demolished earlier this week. On Thursday afternoon, the area was fenced off and large pieces of equipment remained on site.
The name of the business will be the Neighbourhood Brewing Company and will not only produce its own line of craft beer, but will also serve food to customers, he said.
Yellow Dog just celebrated its fourth anniversary in August and he’s loved being part of a burgeoning craft brewery district in that community, he said.
“Port Moody has suddenly become a well-known craft beer destination,” said Coghill, in a phone interview Thursday afternoon. “We opened the first one four years ago and now there are four craft breweries located within a five-minute walk of each other. It’s been a real good move for us.”
Before opening Yellow Dog, they had considered opening a craft brewery in Penticton, but couldn’t find an appropriate site, he said.
“At this point in our life, it still made sense to be totally based out of Vancouver,” he said. “We were living in Port Moody and felt that community needed it (craft brewery).
“But we come up Penticton a lot and have had our house in Naramata for quite a few years, so we spend quite a bit of time up there. We’ve always wanted to do something there, so we continued to look and this opportunity presented itself.”
Coghill hopes to get a development permit and liquor licence in the next couple of months.
He hopes construction can begin “as soon as possible … if everything goes smoothly with the City, we would like to get started right away. We’ll go as fast as we’re able to go.”
Coghill said he and his business partners did their homework and realized that Penticton is quickly gaining a reputation as having one of the best craft brewing scenes in Canada.
He’s met and got to know many of the owners of other craft breweries in town and likes the fact they all support each other, said Coghill.
Neighbourhood Brewery will be joining Penticton-based craft brewing companies such as Cannery Brewing, Bad Tattoo Brewing, Highway 97 Brewery, Tin Whistle Brewing Company and Barley Mill Pub.
It has also been announced that the former Mule Nightclub in downtown Penticton is going to be converted into a craft brew house in the coming months.
Coghill said he knows the partners in the Mule Nightclub project and said they are as excited as he is to be joining Penticton’s burgeoning craft brewery scene.
“We’re really excited to be part of the Penticton scene,” said Coghill. “It’s an exciting time for our industry in Penticton.”
To read an article on Penticton's thriving craft brewery scene, click here.
For more on Yellow Dog Brewing Company, click here.
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