Wildfire and a pandemic couldn’t keep a leash on this Kelowna brewery

From opening a business during a pandemic to fleeing his home from encroaching wildfire, the past year was full of hurdles for Mike Prytula.

But he overcame them all, and Saturday not only marked the one-year anniversary of Unleashed Brewing Co. opening, but it was also his birthday.

“Last year I didn’t really get to have a birthday because we opened and then it was a massive rush of people, so everything just kind of happened,” Prytula, principal brewer and CEO, told Kelowna10. “Then the Westside was on fire, so we actually got booted out of our house [and] we lived here for a little while.”

For the weekend celebration, drink deals are plenty, food trucks are serving eats, and an ice cream shop is on hand making milk stout beer floats.

And, as the name suggests, Prytula and his team are dog lovers, meaning the party extends to the pooches, with a nail trimming station, dog treats made from spent grains, and plenty of space on the dog friendly patio available, too.

“Unleashed is unique because we cater to dogs more than we cater to people,” Prytula said. “Don’t get me wrong, we will get you your beer… but we cater to dogs more.”

He said the location in the brewery district off Clement Avenue has been amazing and they are excited for another year of business. After the year of hard work and dedication, Prytula said he’s looking forward to taking a break soon.

“Love having everybody here and all the breweries around this district are a hundred per cent different, so it’s just a nice little spot where you can hop along and try all different things,” he said. “It’s been so surreal. It’s gone by so fast; I’d like to thank everybody for all their support.”

For Prytula, the best part about his job is working with flavour when it comes to crafting beer. His current favourite birthday brew is All Dogs Go to Heavenweizen.

“I’ve always been huge on flavour. I love making flavours, I love combining things to do it,” he explained. “Beer is just that medium, I can make what I want, when I want, how I want, and people seem to like it.”