Another brewery has joined the Central Okanagan with the goal to give people more options.

Grey Fox Brewing opened on Friday, Dec. 17, becoming Lake Country鈥檚 first brewery. The newest brewery is notable for two reasons, including that it鈥檚 the Okanagan鈥檚 first fully gluten-free brewery.

鈥淚 was diagnosed with celiac disease 20 years ago,鈥� said Grey Fox Brewing Owner, Founder, and Brewmaster Chris Neufeld. 鈥淭he whole gluten-free scene has changed a lot in 20 years but beer is a void, there鈥檚 really no good gluten-free beer in British Columbia.鈥�

Neufeld told Capital News the idea of opening a brewery started in the fall of 2019.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long road,鈥� said Neufeld. 鈥淚n a lot of ways, it was a relief to finally cross that line and be open, but then reality set in that we鈥檙e really only getting started. There鈥檚 still a lot of work to do.鈥�

Neufeld and his team had troubles early on as the pandemic started, but then got possession of their Lake Country location in October 2021.

They also received help to open their brewery by starting a Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $20,000 from 112 people.

When it comes to gluten-free beer, the procedures can be more complex than regular beer, because it is based from millet and rice instead of barley.

鈥淭he process is a lot more complicated than brewing regular beer,鈥� said Neufeld. 鈥淲e have a much more complicated mashing process. Historically, there鈥檚 been the challenge with gluten-free beer.鈥�

The second reason why Grey Fox is notable for the Central Okanagan is that it鈥檚 not a pub. They are manufacturing their beer at their facility to distribute to other breweries around the Okanagan.

鈥淵ou can come here and buy beer but you can鈥檛 come here and have a beer,鈥� said Neufeld. 鈥淥ur plan is we鈥檙e going to be available in the other breweries around town and [they鈥檙e] very receptive of that. The concept is that me, as a celiac, I can go to my friend鈥檚 favourite brewery and share a beer with them even though I鈥檓 gluten-free.鈥�

Neufeld also said that since the pandemic, it鈥檚 been harder to find gluten-free beers in liquor stores.

Grey Fox is the Central Okanagan鈥檚 19th brewery, and people have been excited about having another option that opens up to more people.

鈥淲hen we opened, we got absolutely slammed, we鈥檝e been pumping beer out of there like crazy,鈥� said Neufeld. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a combination of people coming in who said they haven鈥檛 been able to drink beer in years and are super happy to have an option to the beer geeks that want to try out the newest brewery all the time. We鈥檝e had a really good cross-section of people and really interesting conversations.鈥�

Grey Fox Brewing is located at 105-310 Hiram Walker Court.

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jordy.cunningham@kelownacapnews.com
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