Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear beer column, happy birthday to you!
It’s a special edition of the beer column this week, as the long weekend marks one full year since the inaugural column was posted on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023.
Over the past 52 weeks, I’ve been able to feature so many great beers and breweries, but it’s only fitting that I stay in my own city to kick off year two.
And sometimes, the timing just works out, which was the case with an exciting surprise release from one of Kelowna’s favourite breweries this week.
Whether you’re a Kelowna resident or not, there’s a decent chance you’re familiar with BNA Brewing and one of their most beloved beers, Purple Rain.
The iconic blackberry kettle sour has been so popular since its release five years ago that it’s earned its own sequel!
And unlike Caddyshack II, Son of the Mask, The Hangover Part III and Zoolander 2, this sequel doesn’t suck. In fact, it’s really damn good.
It’s called Blue Rain and as the name suggests, it ditches the blackberries and instead uses 300 lbs of blueberry purée.
The reason for the change, BNA says, is they simply wanted to “have some fun with one of our most beloved beers.”
“The aroma of freshly-picked blueberries really comes through before you take your first sip, which is familiar, yet with a twist,” the brewery explains.
“The beer is otherwise identical to Purple Rain, so it's got that tart factor that we know and love that just keeps you coming back for more!”
When I reached out to the brewery this week to get those tasting notes, they quickly provided them and even went above and beyond by sending a six-pack of Blue Rain to our office.
The news team was thrilled and we excitedly tried them out Friday afternoon, and I will say this:
While the beer still obviously has that tart factor, as mentioned above, it is less tart and sour than the Purple Rain, which might seem obvious if you’ve ever eaten blackberries and blueberries.
And even though it still has all the elements of Purple Rain and your classic sour beer, using blueberries definitely (in my opinion, at least) tones down the tartness and sourness just a bit.
So if you’re hesitant to buy sours because some of them make your lips pucker up a bit too much, consider giving Blue Rain a shot because it's been a long time since I’ve tasted such an easy-drinking beer.
Josh Duncan is the NowMedia news director and a craft beer lover. Reach him at josh@nowmediagroup.ca. His beer column appears every Saturday afternoon in this space.