Local craft brewery Ursa Minor Brewing is raising a toast to Burns Lake’s centennial year with a new beer, “Gathering Place Fest Ale,” meant to be inclusive and approachable but still flavourful enough to qualify as a Craft Beer.
Founded by Nathan and Gwyn Nicholas, at the family’s Ootsa Lake farm, the popular brewery has become a beloved staple in the Burns Lake community since opening its doors in 2020.
“When we were first approached by the centennial committee about creating a beer to celebrate the 100th birthday of Burns Lake we took it as an honour and quickly rose to the challenge. Our families, while not being original settlers have been here since the 1940’s and 50’s respectively, and the Lakes District has been good to us,” said Nathan.
For the “Gathering Place Fest Ale”, the family started with a blend of high-quality B.C. and Western Canadian Pale malts, and added just a touch of malted wheat for sweetness and a white creamy head, explained Nathan.
“For hopping, we chose “Centennial “ hops grown in the Fraser Valley. These hops are known for a spicy pine aroma and a pithy grapefruit aftertaste, the perfect blend for a hot summer day. We used a Norwegian Farmhouse yeast that lends a slightly fruity aroma to the beer and leaves a clean finish on the palate,” he said.
The alcohol weighs in at a very drinkable 5 per cent abv.
The name for the brew has also been thoughtfully chosen. The family wanted to pay a tribute to the region’s natural beauty and rich history
“We wanted to honour the traditional use of the place prior to White settlement. As I understand the present site of the Village was an area used by the Indigenous people for potlatch, dances, and other celebrations,” Nathan added.
The brewery is now beginning the process of registration of the beer with the liquor board at this time, and as soon as they have an SKU i.e. a product code, they will begin brewing in the hopes of having the first batch on the shelves by early summer.
“What we love most about Burns Lake is the ‘can-do’ attitude of the residents. People here don’t wait for others to build the things that make our community great, they take risks and ‘Just Do It!’” said Nathan.
