New Kokanee 'Signature Mountain Series'

Creston, BC, January 28, 2004 --- The Columbia Brewery announced this week the introduction of the first beer bottle series designed to celebrate and promote British Columbia mountain resorts. The Kokanee "Signature Mountain Series" will feature seven B.C. ski mountains randomly displayed on 12 million specially labeled Kokanee bottles, encouraging beer drinkers to visit North America's leading ski destinations, including Panorama Mountain Village, Whistler Blackcomb, Sun Peaks Resort, Fernie, Big White Ski Resort and Mount Washington."As BC's mountain brewery, our thinking behind the Signature Mountain Series was to create a dynamic tool to celebrate Kokanee's glacier fresh source and some of the hottest mountain resorts in the world, which also happen to be in our backyard," said Dave McAnerney, Brewery Manager, Columbia Brewery.

"The Signature Mountain Series is the first effort by a beer maker to recognize their packaging can become a tool to promote the dynamic mountain lifestyle of B.C.," said Eric Ommundsen, Marketing Manager, Panorama
Mountain Village. "We're naturally very excited about the
Kokanee beer bottle as a tourism promoter for Panorama. It truly demonstrates how at home the Columbia Brewery and Kokanee are in the B.C. mountains."

The Signature Mountain Series is the latest in a series of packaging innovations the Columbia Brewery has made in the last year to provide Kokanee drinkers the highest quality product in a dynamic, visually compelling package. The specially labeled backside of Kokanee's 341 ml bottle will soon be appearing across Canada, reflecting Kokanee's status as the Columbia Brewery's only national brand.

"Kokanee drinkers are hip, active and love the outdoors, which is perfectly reflected in the ski culture and mountain resorts featured in our Signature Mountain Series promotion," said McAnerney. "The Columbia Brewery was built on the foundation of the individuality, glacier fresh quality and refreshing flavour of our beers, and we're going to make it our business to celebrate that in 2004," said McAnerney.

In addition to the seven BC mountain resorts, the Signature Mountain Series also features two resorts from Alberta: Lake Louise and Marmot Basin.

Built in 1959, the Columbia Brewery is located in picturesque Creston and is part of the rich brewing tradition of British Columbia. The brewery traces its heritage to the Fort Steele Brewery, established in 1898. The Columbia Brewery began brewing its award winning Kokanee lager in 1959 and was purchased by Labatt in 1974. In addition to Kokanee and Kokanee Light, the Columbia Brewery also produces Kokanee Gold, Kootenay True Ale, and Kootenay Mountain Ale.

Larina Dyck
Manager, Public Affairs
The Columbia Brewery
604.520.7269

Kelly LendvoyGrace Communications
604.913.6113

Michelle Leroux
Communications Coordinator
Panorama Mountain Village
P: 250.341.3035
F: 250.341.4199
www.panoramaresort.com
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