Find Your Spirits Here
Open 11am Daily, Close 6pm Sunday & Monday, 7pm or later rest of the week. Private Events by arrangement.
~ Turning the Best Local Fruit into the Best Spirits ~
Creston, BC is on the valley floor nestled between the Selkirk and Purcell Mountain ranges, near the wetlands and migration home to more than 260 species of birds and just over the border from Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
The Creston Valley is a fruit growing area with strong agriculture and forestry industries and year round stunning scenery to Relax, Explore and Play In.
A small family owned and operated business, in 2017 we opened as Wynndel Craft Distilleries in Wynndel, BC. We started out by selling our products at Farmers Markets throughout the East and West Kootenays.
2020 was the first time we entered the Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition (CASC) where we scheived 6 awards, Gold, 2 x Silver and 3 x Bronze. 2021 we re-entered the Apple Brandy and 3 others, winning Gold and Best in Class with the Apple Brandy and Bronze with the others. By 2025, across several categories, we have achieved 2 more Best in Class, 5 more Gold, 6 more Silver and 5 Bronze.
We realised in 2023 that we had outgrown our distillery location out near Duck Lake so the Sunset Seed Building in nearby Creston was purchased.
In 2024 we moved everything into the Distillery's new home.
Apart from painting the exterior blue and white, we have kept the exterior almost as it was (think Speak Easy disguise) but converted the interior to house our Taste Room, Distillery, Warehouse and barrel storage in the one building
The move meant we had to change our name so we became Sternwheeler after the Sternwheelers without which settling this area would have been almost impossible.
We opened our Lounge Bar in February 2025, and stocked it 100% with local products - beers, wines, cider and our Spirits. The Creston Valley houses a brewery, micro-brewery, 2 Cideries, 5 (or more) Wineries and one distillery - us.
We still have the original 16 acres in Saskatoons and a few other Berries and late June into July, still operate our U-Pick - Duck Lake Saskatoon Berry Farm U-Pick.
Our products are still handcrafted in small batches using 100% fruit from the Creston Valley. 100% Grain and Nut free and 100% natural colours and flavours.
~ OPEN 7 DAYS from 11am ~ Wholesale sales available ~
where to FIND our products
Our products are at select Farmers Markets in BC, our Distillery in Creston, BC and via this site.
Spring to Fall we are at Creston, Cranbrook, Fernie, Grand Forks and Nelson Farmers Markets.
Winter we are at Creston's Indoor Farmers Market on Saturdays until end of December and also at the Cranbrook, Creston, Trail and Wynndel Christmas Markets.
fresh ingredients, Natural Flavours
OUR COLLECTIONS: NO GRAINS, ARTIFICIAL COLOUR or FLAVOURS
OUR Brandy, Gin, Liqueur AND MOONSHINE AWARD Winning Spirits at THE
annual CANADIAN Artisan SPIRIT COMPETITION
With over 600 Craft Distilleries in Canada, the Annual Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition is fiercely competitive.
Held in Vancouver, we first entered in 2020 and medaled with a Gold Brandy, Gold and Silver Gin and 2 Bronze Liqueurs.
We have entered every year since and achieved medals for our Brandies and Gins as well as medaling Silver and Best in Class with our Copperhead Shine in 2023.
The knowledge and experience gained from entering the awards is invaluable as Distillers, the medals reinforce that we are on the right track product wise.
