Rob Mangelsdorf •

The latest edition of The Growler’s B.C. Brewer Collaboration Series is here and it’s a jackpot of fruit and hops! Blueberry Lemon IPA is the third in The Growler’s ongoing series of collaboration beers—and the first India Pale Ale.

The brainchild of Barkerville Brewing Co. and Vancouver Island Brewing, this beer sets high scores with lemon peel and fresh B.C. blueberries. Prepare to get blasted by a multi-ball bonus of Mandarina Bavaria, El Dorado and Citra hops, ramped up by the unconventional Sacch Trois yeast. Get another roll of quarters. This is going to be a long-play session!

The Growler’s quarterly collaboration series features breweries from different parts of the province that have never worked with each other before. The goal is to get people excited about B.C. craft beer, encourage collaboration in the craft beer industry and, y’know, brew some really frickin’ good beer.

A new collaboration beer will be released every quarter, corresponding with every new issue of The Growler, B.C.’s Craft Beer Guide. The label of each beer release incorporates the cover art from each new issue.

Blueberry Lemon IPA (6.4% ABV, 62 IBU) is available Sept. 1 on draft at the participating breweries, as well as Garrick’s Head Pub in Victoria and 12 Kings Pub in Vancouver. It’s also available in 650mL bottles at better private liquor stores and bottle shops province-wide, including:

Metro Vancouver

The Bottle Shop Liquor Store, High Point Beer Wine Spirits, Legacy Liquor Store, The Arms Pub Liquor Store (Port Coquitlam), The Witch Liquor Store (Maple Ridge)

Victoria

Cascadia Liquor (Langford), Hillside Liquor Plus, Royal Oak Liquor Plus, Spinnakers Beer & Wine (James Bay), Tudor House Liquor Store, Vessel Liquor Store

Courtenay

Courtenay Liquor Plus, Cascadia Liquor (Courtenay)

Kelowna

Public Liquor Store

Prince George

College Heights Liquor Store

Kamloops

Stag’s Head Liquor Store