I’m not sure I’ve ever tried a more unique BC craft beer than this one.
If you caught last weekend’s column, you might have seen that the Blue Dream Hazy IPA from Four Winds Brewing in Delta won a silver medal in the Experimental & Specialty IPA category at the Canadian Brewing Awards.
The beer is inspired by the legendary Blue Dream cannabis strain, with hops and plant terpenes that mimic the aromatics of weed without containing any THC or CBD related products.
Although it won at the Canadian Brewing Awards earlier this month, it was released by Four Winds last spring.
The brewery has now followed it up this spring with a very similar creation that mimics a cannabis strain with an even more recognizable name – Purple Haze.
While I never got to try the Blue Dream, I did spot Purple Haze in the liquor store last weekend and had to buy it.
Boy am I glad I did, because it was definitely one of the coolest craft beers I’ve ever tried and something you just want to nerd out over if you’re a fan of craft beer, cannabis or both.
“Purple Haze was brewed with botanically derived plant terpenes, allowing us to recreate the aroma and flavour profile of the Purple Haze cannabis strain without using any THC or CBD related products,” the brewery explains.
Look, I used to be hip, and there was a time when I smoked a decent amount of ganja (insert the Steve Buscemi "fellow kids" meme here).
They are not lying when they say this beer has “aromas reminiscent of fresh BC bud.” Honestly, it’s uncanny.
When I cracked open my first can of Purple Haze, I was blown away by the smell, and it legitimately brought me back to my younger, care-free years.
It left me a little curious as to how it would taste and I was quite pleasantly surprised when I had my first sip.
Four Winds promises a “dank, juicy IPA blooming with notes of berries and a melon funk from our use of Belma hops,” bolstered by floral and earth undertones.
That’s the fancy, expert brewery description. My addition to that is the Purple Haze actually tastes like weed as well, but in a good way if that makes sense?
According to Four Winds, Purple Haze is like “if Blue Dream got up to dance,” with a "high-energy bliss" coming in at 6% ABV (alcohol by volume) and 50 IBU (international bitterness units).
I can’t recommend this one enough, although I would probably stay away if you’re someone who’s very put off by the smell of cannabis.
But for all the other adventurous beer drinkers out there, go track this one down as soon as possible!
I found my four pack a week ago at the BC Liquor Store in Kelowna’s Mission Park complex, but I’m not sure about its current availability at various stores because it’s not listed online.
If you strike out at your local BC Liquor Store, I’d try your favourite private stores that focus on craft beer or even shoot Four Winds a friendly message to inquire where you might find Purple Haze in your city.
Josh Duncan is the NowMedia news director and a craft beer lover. Reach him at [email protected]. His beer column appears every Saturday afternoon in this space.
