Turning a Bright Eye to the North Shore
If you are visiting Kamloops and wanting to experience a real, genuine Kamloops pub, look no further than BrightEye Brewery. Craft beer drinkers have been bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in welcoming the new kid on the block, BrightEye Brewery, to the Kamloops craft brewery scene. This new brewery opened its doors to the public in late October 2019. It is very easy to find at 292 Tranquille Road in the North Shore. Its accessible location makes BrightEye the perfect place for a pit stop, whether you’re a Kamloops local or a tourist keen on trying new brews.
The brewers and ownership team created “the idea for a brewery that is going to be a meeting place for people to come in and have local beers. They can have great food made by local chefs, and the idea just kind of blossomed from there…” says Anna Klugie, the front of house manager of Brighteye in our Nov 2 video interview.
Catchy Name with a Story
The 2 brewers, Bryan Craig and Tyler Windsor, are integral to the business in more than just the traditional sense. In fact, the name BrightEye is taken from combining their two first names!
(“Bry” “Ty” = “BrightEye”)
What makes this place so special?
This brewery has many elements that add uniqueness and distinction within the local craft brewery industry. Both locals and tourists alike will be delighted by the interesting flavours of small-batch beer, local artwork, and casual, yet upscale atmosphere. BrightEye is distinct in the way it pours its beers. The brewery pours its pints directly from the tanks in which the beer was brewed itself, which is called “tank beer” when served this way. Serving tank beer ensures maximum freshness while allowing for the beer to continue to mature, right up until it hits your pint glass.
Eye-Catching Artwork
The brewery also features many artistic elements that liven up the industrial space and creates an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. A large blue-scale mural depicting Kamloops and the business logo is painted above the dining room. The mural was painted by local artist Kelly Wright, which is one of many pieces of local art within the room. The second eye-catching feature is the black Mini Cooper mounted on the wall, which lends an artistic flair to the space. In addition, guests will notice a unique art installation along the wall upon entry. In our interview with the manager Anna, she explained that this special art installation was made by the ownership team. They sanded, glued, and painted leftover ends from fencing to create a visually gorgeous sound cancellation art installation. The art, in addition to the tasty beer, is yet just another reason to check this place out.
Unique Beer and Food Selection
Going, going, gone! The brewers make their beer in small batches, and will not replicate previously-created beers. This brewery will continue to serve one IPA beer as their flagship beer (named Juice Springsteen). At the time of publication, the following beers were being poured:
- “Dexter” Milk Stout – traditional stout with added lactose for extra creaminess
- “Fire Alarm Funk” Dry Hopped Kveik Farmhouse – very hoppy Nordic pale ale
- “Juice Springsteen” Hazy New England IPA – easy-drinking, light IPA, less hoppy
- “Strawberry Julius” Strawberry Milkshake IPA -brewed with 120 lbs of fresh strawberries and vanilla extract mouth to create a puckeringly juicy IPA
- “Vinous” Pinot Gris Farmhouse – less hoppy, and infused with pinot gris grape skins for a slight wine profile
- “Jammin’” Raspberry Milk Stout – infused with raspberry jam to create a sweeter stout
Once a type of beer is sold out, it’s gone forever! The chance to experience new brews time and time again is just another reason that will make tourists and locals feel like they’re experiencing something different with every visit.
Tourism and the Craft Beer Industry
When tourists choose to visit a brewery, they are engaging in experiential tourism. BrightEye recognizes their need to more deeply engage with tourists and to promote their business outside of Kamloops.
The use of social media marketing and leveraging their presence at events is currently how the brewery aims at attracting tourists. It is interesting to note that BrightEye Brewery attended 2 previous BrewLoops events before the business was open to the public to stir up some excitement for their product.
We caught up with Quinn Cameron, a current employee of BrightEye and a fourth-year student in the Bachelor of Tourism Management undergraduate degree at Thompson Rivers University, to ask her some questions in our Nov 4 interview. Quinn stated that she thinks social media could be leveraged even more strongly by BrightEye in the form of sponsored ads and posts that feature the food and drinks. A strong social media presence will help in attracting tourists to the brewery in the first place. She also touched on the potential to increase tourism by hosting events at the business, such as company parties and weddings, as a longer-term approach.
However, it seems logical that BrightEye wants to become experts in their business operations before marketing to audiences outside of Kamloops. There are talks of offering brewery tours, becoming a part of the BC Ale Trail, and of partnering with other breweries and entities, like Tourism Kamloops, in the future.
If you love craft beer and cider, here are some other amazing local places to check out:
- Red Collar Brewing Co.
- Iron Road Brewery
- Alchemy Brewery
- Noble Pig Brewhouse
- Red Beard Cafe
- Frick and Frack Taphouse
- Woodward Cider Co.
- Leftfield Cider Co.
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