Skip to content

‘Connect’ with West Kelowna’s newest brewery

After debuting at Beerfest, Connector Brewing opened on Sunday, May 12
web1_240524-wek-connectorbrewing_1
Connector Brewing, located at #1-3310 Carrington Road is West Kelowna’s newest brewery, and the 24th in the Central Okanagan. (Connector Brewing/Contributed)

Before moving to West Kelowna in 2020, Colton Aston and his partner Rebecca were huge fans of the brewery industry. Now their dream of having their own brewery has became a reality as they opened Connector Brewing on Sunday, May 12.

“I’ve been passionate about the beer scene for quite a few years,” said Aston.

Aston and Rebecca loved the craft beer scene in the Lower Mainland, stating the camaraderie and collaboration between the breweries is what stood out for them. They also took a trip across Canada while dating and explored as many breweries as they could and formed connections with people, before the move in 2020.

READ MORE: Camp Beer Co. Wins 2022 BC Ale Trail Best Brewery Experience Award

In their new home, they wanted to make an impact on the community their way, by bringing people together.

“This has been over a three-year endeavor for myself and my partner Rebecca,” said Aston. “We’re really excited the day has finally come. We’ve spent a lot of time trying to learn from the industry, find the best practices, and develop a space where anyone can feel welcome to come in.”

web1_240524-wek-connectorbrewing_3
Connector Brewing, located at #1-3310 Carrington Road is West Kelowna’s newest brewery, and the 24th in the Central Okanagan. (Jordy Cunningham/Black Press Media)

The brewery was announced on social media in August 2022, and quickly secured a spot in a new development located at 3310 Carrington Rd.

READ MORE: Penticton brewery says ‘cheers’ to zero-waste

In less than two years, the brewery has come to fruition. And it came at the perfect time, as they had a tent at Beerfest the day before their opening.

“(Beerfest) was a fantastic experience,” Aston said. “We got a lot of great feedback from all the attendees. The sun was shining, the beer was flowing, not much better you could ask for. It was the perfect introduction for us as a new brewery.”

After the success at Beerfest, Aston admitted he was a little worried they were going to be overwhelmed on their first day.

“It worked out very well, we had a nice inflow of customers,” Aston said. “They have exceeded expectations, we’ve had a lot of positive feedback from the public.”

To start, they have four beers available:

  • It’s My First Day - Hazy Pale Ale;
  • Hunnie, I basiled the Kids - Pale Ale;
  • Coming in Hot Pink - Strawberry Hibiscus Sour;
  • Backwards Rake - Cold IPA.

As for the name, Aston and Rebecca want to make an impact on their community and ‘connect’ people in many different ways.

web1_240524-wek-connectorbrewing_5
Connector Brewing, located at #1-3310 Carrington Road is West Kelowna’s newest brewery, and the 24th in the Central Okanagan. (Jordy Cunningham/Black Press Media)

“It’s a space that connects people together, connects people to the industrial elements of our manufacturing facility, and as well celebrates and connects people to the natural elements of the Central Okanagan,” said Aston, who added the brewery is also close to the Okanagan Connector.

The brewery is also the second in the Central Okanagan to feature an all plant-based food menu.

“We really wanted to create a more sustainable model and showcase to folks that something as simple as where you spend your dollar can really have an impact on the environment and overall sustainability. What you consume on a daily basis is something really easy to make an impact on your community and planet. We really want to normalize it for folks.”

The menu features perogies, artichoke dip, tempeh sliders, and jackfruit tacos.

Being the 24th brewery in the Central Okanagan, Aston has found the same camaraderie and collaboration here as he saw in the Lower Mainland.

“Owners have been fantastic in sharing their knowledge, inviting us into their space to show us how they did things, and give us tips on how to navigate this because there really is no manual for how to build (a brewery), they’re highly complex and highly regulated environment,” said Aston.

The new brewery has two levels and currently seats 84 people and on top of their beers, they have feature taps from Unleashed Brewing and Lakeside Brewing.

“We spend a lot of time thinking about the design and trying to create a fresh, modern space people want to enjoy over and over again,” Aston said. “It’s designed in a way that no matter where you’re sitting, you feel connected to the rest of the space.”

They also plan on hosting event and games nights with prizes from other local businesses.

“We’re just excited for more people to come see our space, try our food and try out beer.”

Plan your adventures throughout the West Coast at westcoasttraveller.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thewestcoasttraveller. And for the top West Coast Travel stories of the week delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our weekly Armchair Traveller newsletter!

Breaking News You Need To Know

Sign up for free account today and start receiving our exclusive newsletters.

Sign Up with google Sign Up with facebook

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Reset your password

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

A link has been emailed to you - check your inbox.



Don't have an account? Click here to sign up


Jordy Cunningham

About the Author: Jordy Cunningham

Hailing from Ladner, B.C., I have been passionate about sports, especially baseball, since I was young. In 2018, I graduated from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops with a Bachelor of Journalism degree
Read more