Mr. Blue Sky Meets Mr. Blue Can

Sun is shinin’ in the sky
There ain’t a cloud in sight
It’s stopped rainin’ everybody’s in the play
And don’t you know
It’s a beautiful new day, hey hey

Electric Light Orchestra, or ELO as they inevitably became known, sure nailed it on a day like today in the South Sound. Their 1978 anthem “Mr. Blue Sky” is among the happiest songs ever released. The song hit the Peaks & Pints jukebox, which, obviously, launched us into a discussion about “Mr. Blue Sky” beers. We came up with the five blue-canned beers below for you to enjoy under the blue sky. By the way, the synthesized voice at the end of the song sings “please turn me over” because in the old days when Peaks & Pints co-owner Pappi Swarner used to listen to music on vinyl (only option), he had to turn the record over to hear the other side.

Block 15 Gloria!: Magnum, Hallertau, Oregon-grown Mt. Hood and Czech Saaz hops impart citrus, grass and floral spice, while Czech Pilsner yeast finishes clean and refreshing. Sun is shinin’ indeed! 5%

Mother Earth Cali’ Creamin’ Vanilla Cream Ale: The San Diego brewery’s number one beer comes across as an homage to cream soda with a flavor that almost perfectly mirrors that of the common fountain treat. 5.2%

Georgetown Johnny Utah Pale: The craft beer equivalent of jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, this single hop pale ale surfs Citra hops. Dude, expect pronounced grapefruit and pine flavors with a faint grass note, obvs. 5.6%

Ghostfish Kick Step IPA: Built for the outdoors, this gluten-free Northwest India pale ale benefits Washington-based nonprofit The Mountaineers. Inspired by the 1906 founded outdoor-minded organization, the Seattle brewery created the hop bill with Comet — one of the oldest hops cultivated in the United States — and progressed forward with Columbus, Simcoe and Denali for a flavors of citrus, pine and tropical fruit. 5.5%

Port Brewing Wipeout: Tomme Arthur’s version of a West Coast India Pale Ale brewed in the San Diego style. This Amarillo/C hopped IPA surfs under Mr. Blue Sky with fantastic complexity, a balance of citrus/fruity/pine hops and moderate bready malt flavor with a aggressively bitter/drying finish. 7.5%

Offshoot Retreat: This hazy double IPA is brewed with a simple malt bill and hopped heavily with fruit-forward Mosaic, Cashmere and El Dorado. Laced with delicate and aromatic tropical notes along with a bright berry medley and a crisp mouthfeel. Nothin’ beats the heat, like Retreat. 8.6%