Happy Independence Day! I'm celebrating the occasion as is appropriate for flammable me: sparklers, firecrackers, bottle rockets, and a holiday-appropriate sour ale.

That ale's Lone Pine's Blueberry Sparkler--a beer that's not (as far as I can tell) in active production. My can comes to us from August 11th, 2020. That's fine, though. Sours that are aged only grow more sour over time, right? 

I hope you'll take a quick moment from your holiday to crack open a beer of your own as the fireworky aroma of gunpowder lingers in the air and read along. 

Lone Pine is based in both Portland and Gorham, Maine. According to this Brewbound article, the brewery was founded in 2015. Specializing in American ales and small-batch brews, the brewery claimed a couple of medals for their craft at the 2020 Great American Beer Festival.

Blueberry Sparkler, which can be found partway down Lone Pine's "Beers" page (under the "Sparkler Variants" heading), is a 4.8% ABV ale that boasts a pop of tart fruit flavor. Pop is an appropriate word for today's festivities.

I'm picking up on some blueberry from Blueberry Sparkler's nose. It's not blueberry pie by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, the blueberry comes in bright pops, between subtle sour notes. Digging a little deeper, I find some honey aromatics that impart a warm sweetness to the whole affair. I love the ale's bouquet and think it's fitting for fireworks night. Seeing as how she have my can eleven whiffs, I'd guess birthday-girl Purrl's pretty enamored, too.

Purrl's nine today!

That same blueberry brightness carries throughout the ale's flavor profile. Flavorful but nowhere near overbearing, it's akin to a blueberry topping on a cheesecake. The sourness is subtle, almost lemony. There's a definite citrus aspect to the flavor, though, a zestiness that keeps it light and summery. The honey I picked up earlier is gone but the blueberry and lemon linger and pop in the minutes-long finish.

Blueberry Sparkler is crisp and refreshing. It's a hell of a quaffable beer and the absolute perfect nightcap for an evening of colorful explosions, oohs, and aahs.

During the first Fourth of July cookout Michelle and I had after we moved into our house, we lit sparklers with our friends. It was hokey, sure, but still a ton of fun. We waited until it was dark and ran outside to light the sparklers up. There were only a handful of us (seven, I think) but we went through boxes and boxes of the fireworks in minutes. It was an absolute blast.

This memory is relevant to today's beer because, apart from the whole Independence Day connection, Lone Pine's Blueberry Sparkler is also an absolute blast. It's sour but not too sour. The blueberry is present and noticeable without becoming overwhelming. It's breezy, it's refreshing, and it's everything I'd hoped it would be. This is an easy 10/10 from me. I recommend you track some down to enjoy before next year's Fourth of July.