Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery

Distilling is agriculture at one remove. Fruit or grain goes in, fermentation does the first half of the work, and the still concentrates what is left into a spirit that may then rest in wood for years before anyone tastes it. In a valley built on orchards and fields, that chain sits close to home, and Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery works from 5204 24 Street in downtown Vernon.

The timing of a visit changes it entirely. Summer brings the valley wide crowd working its way north, and a tasting room shares that rhythm with the wineries and cideries further down the lake. In the colder months the same room is quieter, which usually means more conversation with the person behind the counter. Downtown Vernon keeps its parking close and its blocks walkable, so a stop like this folds neatly into an afternoon that also covers the main street shops. Anyone planning to taste more than a little should sort out how they are getting home before they arrive.