VIDEO: Barn Owl Brewing looks to history as its coffeehouse gets a rebrand

It's been an interesting road since Barn Owl Brewing took flight in Kelowna.

Just as the craft brewery was taking flight in Kelowna's Mission area, the pandemic hit.

Then the owners found themselves taking over the adjoining coffee shop space.

It's now called the Milk Shed, and the owners are brewing beer on one side and coffee on the other.

The first thing they did was open the door that separates the two sides, so people can enjoy the history of the place whether they're drinking coffee or beer.

"We're in a 1920's heritage barn, a hundred-year-old building," said co-owner Gary Brucker.

"To have a space where people can enjoy it from the start of the day to the end of the day really makes some sense."

Barn Owl had to learn about adapting very early-on, because eight months after they poured their first beer, the pandemic hit.

"We sort of got the support of the community in that they didn't want to see us go under," said Brucker. "We had become a community gathering spot very quickly."

He said the way people embraced the brewery, gave them a boost of confidence.

"That allowed us to even envision what it could be if we took over this space as well," said Brucker.

And while Kelowna has no shortage of coffee shops or craft breweries, the Mission area doesn't have much at all.

"This area has a large population and is under-serviced for many things," he said.

And the building itself is what sets it apart.

"Our favourite places are always about the experience," explains Brucker.

"When you can combine a quality product with a beautiful experience of a heritage barn, it's just a win-win."

The coffeehouse opens after a lot of discussion about what to name it.

Eventually, it was the history of the place that won the day, because it used to be a milk shed.

"That was the portion of the barn where they literally milked the cows," he said.

And with the number of lattes and cappuccinos that they're selling, it just fits.