Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery

Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery offers a different kind of tasting experience on the North Okanagan's beverage trail. Operating since 2004, this Vernon-based distillery produces its spirits from 100 percent British Columbia grain and fruit, turning the valley's orchards and farmland into an unusually wide range of bottles: whiskies, gins, vodkas, fruit liqueurs, aquavit, absinthe and brandies all appear in the lineup. The results have earned serious international attention, including a haul of 11 gold and 5 silver medals at the 2025 World Spirits Awards, and the distillery promotes itself as one of Canada's most award-winning craft spirits producers. For visitors, the experience is refreshingly low-barrier; drop-in tastings are available without reservations, while those who want to dig deeper can book guided experiences that explore the art of craft distilling while sampling through the portfolio.

The Vernon distillery anchors the operation, with a second location in Kelowna for those touring the central Okanagan, and together they make a natural complement to a wine-focused itinerary; after a day among Okanagan Valley vineyards, a flight of locally distilled gin or barrel-aged whisky shows another side of what the region's fruit and grain can do. Vernon itself sits at the northern end of the Okanagan, close to Kalamala and Okanagan lakes and an easy drive from the wineries around Lake Country and Kelowna, so the distillery slots conveniently into a northern loop of the valley. Bottles are available on site, and the distillery also ships across Canada with free shipping on larger orders for visitors who want to restock after returning home. For travellers who enjoy meeting producers and understanding how things are made, the combination of local ingredients, in-house production and approachable tastings makes Okanagan Spirits a worthwhile detour from the wine route.