Ursa Minor Brewing is an interesting establishment and owner, Nathan Nicolas hopes to attract visitors and locals.

Owner Nathan Nicholas says he wants Ursa Minor Brewing to attract visitors and locals.

Upon arrival, the entryway is 100km down a labyrinth of resource roads south of Burns Lake, B.C. Even the owner says day-trippers will dedicate hours to drive from northern communities like Smithers, Terrace and Vanderhoof just to sit near the placid inlet on Ootsa Lake just to try his brew.

“We really want to have a destination brewery,” says Nicholas. “We want to be a tourist attraction.”

Nicholas grew up on this 540-acre property when his parents bought the land in the late 1950s.

The brewery focuses on local ingredients. The haskap berries in the saison were sourced from a nearby farm. Spruce tips for a session ale are plucked from local trees.

“It’s a really nice way to engage with people,” Nicholas says about purchasing ingredients from his neighbours. “That’s one thing we really wanted to do with our brewery is foster that sense of community again.”

The brewery opened its doors in 2018, and Nicholas immediately had to battle an epic wildfire season, which delayed Ursa Minor’s opening until June 2020, which then took on a whole new set of challenges. The brewery operates during the summer with regular business hours Friday to Sunday, but be sure to book an appointment, suggests Nicholas. 

This week on Aug. 1, they opened a small campground that will host visitors who want to spend more time in this peaceful location.“Sometimes I wonder if people come for the beer or to see the crazy people who started a craft brewery in the middle of nowhere,” Nicholas jokes.

Photos credit: Amanda Follett Hosgood