"Our distributor asked us to do something like that," says Alan Brady, Head Brewer for Long Island, New York's Blue Point Brewing Company. "Now it's one of our top sellers."

Ah, what inspiration: I've heard more passion in bank transactions. But who can blame him: Blue Point's flagship beer Toasted Lager is a World Beer Cup winner. Now he has silly bloggers wasting his time asking questions about this fruity brew. Even the official description is somewhat backhanded: "Blue Point fresh Blueberry Ale offers an unusual twist on brewing that turns out to be just perfect" -- as if to say: "Don't worry, guys! It came out okay!"

There's a discrepancy as to how many blueberries actually go into a Blueberry Ale. The box boasts an impressive 735 pounds, whereas the website speaks to a more conservative 132. Maybe they halved the recipe? Either way, these numbers are meaningless to the average drinker -- It's all about what ends up in your nose and mouth -- and Blueberry Ale is appealing in both regards. The scent is a bounty of fresh, authentic blueberries, but surprisingly, the flavor itself is not overpowering., which is perfect. Beginner's mistake numero uno in fruit flavoring is putting too much on the palette.

Mistake #2, no balance. Some breweries think just because we love a fruit, its flavors will come off positively. Yeah, right: Trying playing your favorite Rage Against the Machine album as the background music for a candle lit dinner. Sometimes good plus good equals bad. This is especially true with fruited filtered beers: Sometimes the crisp mouthfeel of a light ale or lager doesn't bode well with a full fruit flavor.

As it first hits your tongue, Blue Point suffers the same problem: Distinct blueberries plopped on top of a crisp ale. But slipping down your throat, a familiar flavor comes to the rescue: The "toasted" essence that made their Toasted Lager an award-winner. It's a good finish, coupled with the great drinkability of a "golden ale". It's not the most finely crafted fruit infusion, but it's certainly one of the more quaffable. Trust me, you could put these down all day (and, trust me, I will.)

THE FINAL SIP: Much like Magic Hat's #9, Blueberry Ale was originally intended as a seasonal ale, but demand has kept it around since its humble beginnings when BPBC were strong-armed into making it by their nasty stepmother of a distributer in 2004. They'd like to make us believe they phoned this one in, but come on guys! Have some confidence! Sure, fruit beer may be the bane of the true craft brewers existence, but as Blue Point continues forward with a nationwide expansion (keep your eyes open, Texas), the recognizability of their Blueberry Ale should help move product. That distributer might have been right: File BPBC's Blueberry Ale under "perfect gateway beer."

[Photo Credit: bluepointbrewing.com]