Penticton Vees brew up buzz for a new era of hockey with a branded local craft beer

By Yvonne Turgeon

There are a lot of firsts on the ice in the South Okanagan Events Centre (SOEC) this hockey season: first goals, first wins and the first puck drop at the inaugural home opener for the Penticton Vees, who are moving up in the hockey world. The Western Hockey League (WHL) awarded an expansion franchise to the Penticton Vees for the 2025-26 season to the delight of many hometown fans and businesses. 

Now, that’s something to raise a glass to. Cannery Brewing, based in Penticton, B.C., was happy to join the celebration.

Building on a decade-long partnership, the Vees and Cannery staff quickly got to work. 

“We’ve had our beer for sale in the building for all of that time,” says Kim Lawton, marketing director for the local brewery. “We’ve been long-term sponsors of the Penticton Vees, and at one point they reached out to us and said, ‘what do you think about doing a custom Vees-branded beer?’”

Those first commemorative cans came off the line at championship time, when the team made the playoffs, and were available for sale at the hockey arena, the brewery and local liquor stores. 

With planning underway in advance of the team’s entry into the new league, the Vees once again made a call to the brewery. 

“All the hype is for the first WHL season and the first WHL games,” says Chris Laurie, senior vice-president of the Penticton Vees.  “We looked to launch a product that aligned with the WHL inaugural season, so we could get it out there with the hype and the buzz of the excitement of the first-ever WHL games.” 

Laurie comes to Penticton after six years as the president of the West Kelowna Warriors in the B.C. Hockey League. In 2022, he received the BCHL Marketer of the Year Award. 

The chosen beer, Cannery Brewing Lakeboat Lager, is crafted for sale under its original label and the new Vees-branded cans.

Head brewer and a partner in the brewery, Ross Thompson (top photo), is proud of his basic, German-style, 100% pilsner malt lager. 

“It ferments at 10°C for most of the time, and then we condition our lager like crazy,” he says. “We try to get eight weeks of tank time. [The time] just mellows it out and gives the yeast a chance to clean it up and makes it really crisp and drinkable.”

Vees fans, players and the management team agree. 

“Cannery does an excellent job with the product,” says Laurie. “We partnered on the design of the labeling, which was a lot of fun, and we’re very pleased with how that came out.”

The inaugural can, featuring a Vees-branded crest over Okanagan Lake is the work of graphic designer Cory Ransom. The new cans were unveiled with a standout marketing launch. 

Lawton shares that the Vees saying for this year is “Play Big” so she matched that with a life-sized cut-out of the team captain. Ten were made and set up in local liquor stores. With every purchase, fans received a ticket for a chance to win a Vees jersey and four game tickets. 

The cutout featured captain Nolan Stevenson, a familiar face to the hometown fans. The Shaunavon, SK-born defender, played the previous two seasons with the Vees in the B.C. Hockey League and was an alternate captain both seasons. 

While sales of the WHL cans are strong, Thompson says he’s not looking to sell a ton more beer. Rather, it’s the partnerships that count. 

“We did this because we want the Vees to be successful, and it all trickles back,” he says. 

Partnering is a value they’ve built into their business model. 

“We are always looking at it from the perspective that we all benefit more so by doing this,” says Lawton.

“Even if we can’t quantify it, even if there’s not a dollar ROI on it, it’s still the value of partnership, working together and showcasing our community. This is great for Penticton. It’s great for the Vees. It’s great for the SOEC.” 

Support for the local economy benefits everyone, Laurie agrees. 

“We wave the banner of Penticton, Penticton, Penticton wherever we go,” he says. 

“There’s a significant sense of local pride in this community, and I would say that it’s here more than in other communities that I’ve been involved with. 

“I get the sense here that businesses support each other and residents support each other, so the more we can do to encourage and support that… I think it’s what a sports team is supposed to do.”