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The closure of Vice & Virtue Brewing was well-publicized, but it wasn’t the only Central Okanagan brewery to permanently shut its doors over the holidays.
Kelowna Brewing Company near UBC Okanagan said farewell after one final night of business on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Lake Country Brewing followed suit with their last call on Sunday, Dec. 29.
Photo Credit: Kyle Cameron/Michael Hazen
It was a quiet exit from the Central Okanagan brewery scene for both establishments, especially Kelowna Brewing Company.
The brewery’s website and Instagram page were taken down, while their still-active Facebook page’s last post was about a Canucks game promotion on Dec. 12.
Peter Irvine, a part of the brewery’s ownership group, did share a photo and farewell message on their final night of business.
“I’m heartbroken that our dream was unable to sustain, but truly grateful for the memories we created and the amazing people that worked there, and the friends that supported us,” he wrote.
He said that he was “absolutely crushed,” but expressed gratitude for the staff and patrons that saw the business through some turbulent years for the hospitality industry.
While Kelowna Brewing Company was open for five years, it was a much shorter run for Lake Country Brewing.
The surprise closure comes just shy of two years after the brewery opened its doors for the first time in February 2023.
A final post from the establishment thanked everyone who stopped by for a visit and a beer, along with the staff and multitude of performers who were a part of their event schedule over the past two years.
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