Early last month, Canada’s Vancouver Island Brewery released a new beer with a caving connection.

To create the India Dark Ale, cleverly dubbed Absolute Darkness, the brewery teamed up Vancouver Island’s Horne Lake Caves to try to capture the dark, mysterious and exhilarating essence of caving.

Their result; a prominent flavour of roasted malt with a solid hop presence and an aroma of roasted coffee and chocolate.

The label on the 650ml bottle features a caver with a glowing headlamp on a black background with logos and lettering that glow in the dark. The perfect solution to drinking with the lights out.

Vancouver Island has the highest density of caves in Canada and some of the longest and deepest caves in the country. We have always had a strong connection with our Island environment and it tends to influence our brewers and our beers. Rob Ringma, Vancouver Island Brewery General Manager

Crafted in small batches the beer is available for purchase at local beer stores and at Vancouver Island Brewery’s own on-site beer store.

Local brewery dives into Absolute Darkness to launch new beer! [Vancouver Island Brewery]