As a valuable public service, we taste the latest in Lower Mainland beers and then give you a highly opinionated, pocket-sized review.

On tap: Andina Brewing Company’s Cocolat Toasted Coconut Chocolate Stout.

Their Words: “This dark and rich oatmeal stout has been loaded with toasted coconut and cocoa nibs giving a real cold-weather treat.”

Taste Test: It’s funny how a random picture—or in this case a beer-can illustration—will sometimes take you back to a better place. In this instance we’re talking a waterfront hotel in Cancún on the Mayan Riviera.

Normally the best part of any holiday in Mexico is lying on the beach drinking sweat-beaded cans of Sol Limón y Sal from sunrise to sunset. On one memorable visit, the most powerful moment came at night, when the Carribean Sea went from azure blue to a squid-ink black, a giant yellow moon hanging heavy on the horizon. A majestic and beautiful memory, with the strange thing being how unexpected it was.

The art for Andina Brewing Company’s Toasted Coconut Chocolate Stout could have been painted on the balcony of that hotel.

As for the beer inside, your first thought is “My kingdom for a Guinness widget”—a heads up that purists can expect a product mildly fizzy rather than silky smooth. Go in dreaming of a coconut explosion and you’ll end up more disappointed than seven stranded castaways at the end of a Gilligan’s Island episode—Andina definitely takes the subtle approach. But the cocoa notes are there in spades and they’re wonderful—with a Terry’s Chocolate Orange–like undernote as a lovely bonus.

Deep Thoughts: Google “challenges of working with coconut when brewing” and you’ll end up with all sorts of action, with talk on everything from spoilage when fresh meat is used to how oils torpedo head retention. In other words, more so than apricots, chestnuts, or Tofino kelp, coconut can be unforgiving. Rather than dwell on what’s not there, love Cocolat for doing what a good stout is supposed to do, namely deliver a nice chocolate kiss. Don’t forget to drink in the beauty of the label. Oh man, to be on the moonlit midnight shores of Cancún right now.