Tin Whistle Brewing Company

• Tin Whistle Brewing Co.

Tin Whistle Brewing Company is the first craft brewery established in the South Okanagan, based in Penticton, British Columbia. The original locomotive of the Kettle Valley Railway is the brewery’s namesake. Over the years, the company has changed owners, recipes, and labels, but has always brewed a variety of beers that take inspiration from the wildlife, geography, and history of the Okanagan Valley.

Tin Whistle Brewing began production in 1995, based in a converted railway museum building on Eckhardt Avenue West. The original owners were a 4-person team comprised of couples Linda and Richard Grierson, and Lawrie and Lynda Lock, who were assisted by brewery consultant Frank Appleton. Beers developed under this team's ownership include the Rattlesnake ESB Ale, Coyote Ale, Back Widow Dark Ale, Peaches n’ Cream Ale, and Killer Bee Dark Honey Porter.

In 1998, the brewery was purchased by Lorraine Nagy, who managed the company for 22 years with her son Mike Nagy. During this ownership, several beers were developed including the Centennial Blonde Ale, Kettle Valley Amber Ale, Chocolate Cherry Porter, Harvest Honey Pale Ale, Scorpion Double IPA, Osprey Pear White IPA, Hands Up Red Ale, Fresh Hop Pale Ale, Mosaic Express IPA, Extortionist Hazelnut Espresso Stout, Paradise Coconut Hopfenweisse, and the Wasted Grape Gewurztraminer Saison Ale. Award-winning brews include the Stag Apple Scotch IPA, which placed bronze in the dark beer category at the 2014 Canadian Beer Awards and Gold at the 2014 BC Beer Awards, as well as the Raspberry Blonde Ale, which placed gold in the fruit beer category at the 2016 BC Beer Awards. The Killer Bee Dark Honey Ale also won a silver medal at the Calgary International Beer Festival in 2016. In 2015, the brewery moved to the Cannery Trade Center on Fairview Road in order to increase production and expand the tasting room. Brewmasters under Loraine Nagy's ownership include Ron Bradley (200-?–2011?), followed by Jeff Todd (2011?–2018), and Matt Farmer (2018-present).

Alexis Esseltine and Timothy Scoon purchased Tin Whistle Brewing in 2020. Bringing a commitment to sustainability, the latest owners have certified the brewery as carbon neutral and use local BC and Canadian grown ingredients in their brewing process. All five beers developed by the original owners are still brewed under this new management, as well as the Lookout IPA, Mythical Creatures IPA, Wanderlust Ale, Morning Glory Ale, Hazelnut Coffee Milk Sour, Gimlet Juniper Lime Sour, Go Go Light Pseudo Lager, Queen of Tart Sour, and Coco Galore Coconut Hopfenweisse. The current brewmaster under Esseltine and Scoon's ownership is Matt Farmer.

Scott, Jon C. (2011). Beer Quest West: The Craft Brewers of Alberta and British Columbia. Victoria, BC: TouchWood Editions.