WATCH: This beer with coconut and lime is perfect for summertime

• Coconut lime blonde ale
• Great pairing with chicken club sandwich

At last, the sun is out and it's time to live a little.

And, with the long-awaited change in the weather, maybe it's time for a light beverage with a unique twist, perfect for those looking to get into craft beers.

That’s how the head brewer at Rustic Reel Brewing Co., Matt Nolan, describes his summer ale.

“The beer is called the Coconut Lime Blonde, and this is our second year making it,” Nolan told Kelowna10. “It’s summer and people want to drink something that’s light and has some nice, toasted coconut flavours, with a little bit of the lime acidity.”

Nolan said when people first take a sip, they taste the gluten-reduced blonde ale, followed by a nice coconut flavour, finished with the zippy lime.

“Last year was my first-time using coconut in beer, so definitely a bit of a learning curve just because you’re working with so much volume of coconut at one time,” he explained. “We do a bit over 50 pounds per batch of toasted coconut.”

Nolan said it’s a fine balance between too much coconut and not enough, but he has it down to a bit of a science now since he’s had more experience.

“Start to finish it’s about three to four weeks [of brewing],” he said. “Then basically I just taste it until I’m happy with it.”

Nolan works with the kitchen since they provide him with the toasted coconut and freshly squeezed lime juice. He said the beer pairs great with the Rustic Chicken Club and Cinnamon Bun with coconut whipped cream for dessert.

He came up with the idea for the beverage as he wanted to try something new and fun for summer.

“I didn’t really see anything else there like it,” he said. “Figured I’d use the blonde ale instead of a sour beer base, because sometimes people aren’t into the sours.”

The beer and food can be enjoyed inside or out on the dog-friendly patio during the warm summer evenings.