In British Columbia, our liquor laws have always tended towards prohibition and control. Liquor sales were firmly controlled by the government in their stores and only large manufacturers of beer and spirits were able to navigate the amount of regulations and supply in large enough quantities to have their products available to the public.
In the past few years craft breweries have started to develop in British Columbia to delight locals with smaller batches of beer, made in a variety of flavours and styles. However, spirits remain tightly regulated and I was not aware that any alternatives existed in the province.
Okanagan Spirits – Vernon — View of tasting bar — distillery to the right
There is now a craft distillery located in Vernon, called Okanagan Spirits. 
I encountered a friendly woman offering samples of fruit liqueur and spirits at the Vernon Farmer’s market. She assured me that times had changed and now local fruit is being processed into quality alcohol and sold directly to the public in Vernon and Kelowna.
Later, I made an appointment and interviewed Rodney Goodchild, originally from Ireland, but now making his home in Vernon.