Interprovincial relations with our neighbor to the east have been pretty fubar lately, to borrow a term from the Canadian cinema classic. As any Albertan relative’s rabid Facebook posts will tell you, us British Columbians apparently hate Canada almost as much as that fella with the sharp haircut. I don’t watch the news, but I think it has something to with a series of tubes.

At any rate, the good folks at Dageraad Brewing in Burnaby teamed up with their buds at Blindman Brewing in Lacombe to collaborate on a beer that’s sure to unite us instead of dividing us. The end result is The Pass, a grisette brewed with juniper berries and made with malt from Alberta’s Red Shed Malting.

The Pass leads with a heavy hit of yeasty goodness, thanks to being can conditioned in order to naturally carbonate it, and the first whiff is pure Belgian bliss. In fact, the citrus and pine notes of the juniper berries combined with the spiciness of the yeast and wheat character give it an almost witbier-esque feel. Light, dry and refreshing, even a pair of squabbling siblings can agree on this beer.

So in the spirit of The Pass, let’s celebrate the things that unite British Columbians and Albertans. Like mediocre hockey teams, vacationing in the Okanagan and an irrational resentment of Ontario. And, of course, delicious craft beer.

Maybe those Red Plates ain’t so bad, after all.

The Pass by Dageraad Brewing (collab w/ Blindman Brewing)

4.1% ABV • 473 mL tall cans

Appearance: Hazy straw with a pillowy white head.

Aroma: Pepper, spice, yeasty, citrus, pine.

Flavour: Pepper, citrus, pine, spice, orange, wheat, slightly tart, very refreshing and endlessly drinkable.

Body/Finish: Light bodied with a dry, slightly astringent finish.

Pairs with: Pan-fried salmon, green onion cakes, prairie oysters and friendship.