Sleeman Breweries informed the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Sept. 28, 2011 about the potential chemical residue, which is NOT considered to be a health hazard. The CFIA has deemed this recall a Class III (Low and No-Risk Health Hazard). All stores in the Okanagan Valley, Kootenay Rockies and Northern B.C. areas to which the product was shipped have been contacted and have already removed the product in question from their shelves. The product will be picked up and delivered back to the brewery for further inspection. Sleeman Breweries is investigating how the chemical may have found its way into the product in question so that it can ensure future incidents of a similar nature do not occur.

This potential chemical residue is NOT considered to be a health hazard; however, because a limited number of the bottles in question have already been sold, Sleeman Breweries encourages consumers in the aforementioned areas who have purchased this product to return it for a full refund.

To date, there have been no consumer complaints related to this brand and code. We are undertaking this recall because we want to ensure the public gets only the very best quality from our products and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We apologize to our employees, consumers and retailers for any inconvenience this has caused.

Product: Okanagan Spring Brewmaster’s Black Lager
Codes on Product: J09111700 V to J09111815V

Okanagan Spring Brewery is pleased to announce a new three year partnership agreement with BC Rugby making the brewery the exclusive beer supplier for all provincially administered events. In addition to becoming the “Official Beer of BC Rugby”, Okanagan Spring will take over naming rights for two of the BC Rugby’s Provincial Spring Leagues. The partnership will involve a joint effort to promote Okanagan Spring’s involvement in BC Rugby through a variety of website, print, radio, and on-field executions.

“Similar to Okanagan Spring, rugby has deep roots in the various communities across our home province of British Columbia” offers Glen Jessup, Marketing Manager for Okanagan Spring Brewery. “We are excited to be working alongside BC Rugby in developing this great sport and offering our support to the various clubs, events and groups associated with this top notch organization.”

“Okanagan Spring Brewery has been a strong supporter of BC Rugby for the last 5 years,” said Jeff Sauvé, Chief Executive Officer of the British Columbia Rugby Union. “We pour Okanagan Spring Brewery beer at our provincial level events, and for 5 years and counting, we have had nothing but positive feedback from our fans. On and off the pitch, rugby is a culture that values consistency; since establishing our partnership, Okanagan Spring Brewery has been consistently awesome! We are excited to extend our contract for another three years and greatly value our relationship with the individuals at Okanagan Spring Brewery, and the product they deliver.”

Looking to check out a Okanagan Spring Brewery League match? Click here to check out the schedule that is posted and updated online at the BC Rugby website.

About BC Rugby:
Established in 1894, the British Columbia Rugby Union is the governing body responsible for delivery the sport of rugby across British Columbia. With a club membership base of over 5000 individuals and 10 provincial teams, the British Columbia Rugby Union is proud to be the top provider in North America of rugby leagues and athlete development.

About Okanagan Spring Brewery:
Okanagan Spring Brewery was established in 1985 and continues to brew from the same location today. As the leader in Craft brewing, we believe in quality, best ingredients, freshness and full taste. Each and every beer we brew is all-natural with no artificial ingredients or preservatives.

First brewed by Okanagan Spring Brewery in 1989, the Pale Ale is a clear and copper-coloured beer that is fruity on the palate and hearty in hops with a nice, round finish. Ontario craft beer drinkers might be familiar with this beer as it has only available on tap at select restaurants and bars over the past three years.

“The strength of our brand’s heritage and the popularity of our draught beer in select Ontario establishments have opened the doors to retail expansion.” says Glen Jessup, marketing manager for Okanagan Spring Brewery. “There has been an overwhelming response from Ontario consumers asking for the Pale Ale – and we answered. Craft beer drinkers can now savour our Pale Ale either at their favourite watering hole, or while enjoying the comforts of home.”

One of B.C.’s original craft breweries, Okanagan Spring was founded by Buko von Krosigk and Jakob Tobler: two men determined to offer an alternative to the mainstream beers of the region. Current Brewmaster, Stefan Tobler, son of Jakob, made the recipe for the Pale Ale in his first year on the job. The recipe hasn’t changed from the original using premium, two-row Canadian barley, Bavarian hops, a signature yeast strain and 100% pure Okanagan spring water.

“When I made the Extra Special Pale Ale, as it was called back in 1989, I had no idea it would become such a popular brew,” says Tobler. “I’m excited to share Okanagan Spring Pale Ale with beer lovers in Ontario.”

The Okanagan Spring Pale Ale six-pack bottles are available now available at various LCBO stores across Ontario for the suggested retail price of $12.95. Click here to find an LCBO store near you that stocks Okanagan Spring Pale Ale.

Why not show some originality and provide your soon-to-be most grateful hosts with this ideal assortment of your craft favourites. This year’s winter release of our Okanagan Spring Craft Variety pack features your standard favourites (our traditional 1516 Bavarian Lager and BC’s Number One Pale Ale), the winter classic (Brewmaster’s Black Lager) and our latest addition to our craft line-up: Hopped Lager. Launched this year as a tribute to our silver anniversary, we decided this new craft brew was far too tasty to leave out . Brewed using the “late-hopping” process, this beer is fragrant and hoppy with a crisp, clean finish – a most welcome addition to this year’s variety pack.

The winter edition of the Okanagan Spring Craft Variety Pack is available now across Western Canada.

]]> http://www.okspring.com/news/hopped-into-craft-pack/feed/ 0 http://www.okspring.com/news/okanagan-spring-brings-back-sponsor-me-spring-program/ http://www.okspring.com/news/okanagan-spring-brings-back-sponsor-me-spring-program/#comments Mon, 31 May 2010 17:01:18 +0000 admin http://www.okspring.com/?p=835 Looking for real events that pair well with your craft favourites!

Okanagan Spring Brewery is excited to announce that the well-received Sponsor Me Spring campaign has officially been re-launched for 2010 in a brand new format on Facebook at www.sponsormespring.ca. The re-launch of this campaign on this social medium has brought about many great changes to this promotion, setting Okanagan Spring up for a successful and busy few months of sponsorships.

The campaign continues to operate as it did in its debut year, looking for real events that pair well with Okanagan Spring beer. Contest requirements are simple and encourage anyone with a sponsorship worthy occasion in the works to create and submit a short video about their event and why it deserves to be backed by Okanagan Spring.

An average of six to eight sponsorships are awarded at the beginning of the month for the duration of the summer. Sponsorships are rewarded based on the votes received on the website and based on the fan feedback received online. To date, Okanagan Spring has sponsored everything from bachelor parties to annual excursions, camping trips and pirate themed parties. A party pack is rewarded to each winner that includes party supplies customized to the event being sponsored and special catering services to ensure nobody goes thirsty.

Okanagan Spring is overwhelmed with the eager response of their fans in just the first week of their re-launch and is looking forward to watching the momentum build over the summer as their Facebook fans continue to interact with the site and share their videos and feedback with other friends.

The Sponsor Me Spring program for 2010 is once again being supported with a heavy investment in both radio and print advertising. In addition, Okanagan Spring has developed a series of unique new banner and rich media advertisements that will be making their debut on various online mediums such as MSN, Yahoo, Evite and Facebook. All support advertising showcases the wide variety of sponsorship opportunities that Okanagan Spring is willing to put their name behind and encourages people to jump online and apply for sponsorship.

The new sponsorship site can be found at Okanagan Spring’s Facebook page or at www.sponsormespring.ca.

Now available and back by popular demand is our Okanagan Spring Hefeweizen. This is the perfect complement to your summer patio sessions and other sun-worshiping type activities. Keeping close to our roots, this is a true Bavarian Hefeweizen, unfiltered and faithful to an original recipe. This beer pours to a white, cloudy golden colour, keeping all those extra clove and banana flavours locked up until you are ready to enjoy them.

The Summer Craft Variety Pack is now available in BC, Alberta and we are pleased to let you know that it is available for the first time in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Now available at select locations only in British Columbia (non BC residents – it’s about time you book your trip out West)