Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery helping less fortunate this holiday season

Photo: Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery

An Okanagan distillery is getting into the 'spirit' of Christmas.

Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery in Vernon and Kelowna will kick off its annual Holiday Hot Meals campaign Nov. 24.

The distillery will donate three hot meals for every spirit advent calendar, or full-size bottle sold.

The Vernon-based, family-run distillery started the charitable initiative in 2019 in an effort to give back to those could use a lift during the holiday season.

The campaign is continuing to grow, thanks to the 'buy local' movement, which is alive and well in the Okanagan, says CEO Tyler Dyck.

"We launch this campaign each year on Black Friday weekend to put a different kind of twist on the usual mad consumerism that is wrapped up in that day and the whole holiday spending push," Dyck said in a press release.

"It's really quite simple: we pay it forward by donating on behalf of those who wish to treat those on their holiday shopping list to a fine whisky, gin or vodka, or even that perfect holiday spirits advent calendar, but also like to know that their purchase goes towards making the holidays a little bit nicer for those who are less fortunate."

Over the last few years, the distillery has been able to fund thousands of hot meals to the Upper Room Mission in Vernon and Kelowna Gospel Mission in Kelowna.