A local brewery is out with a new beer honouring the memory of late artist Chili Thom.

The annual special release features a can designed in collaboration with the estate of Chili Thom, a Sea to Sky artist who succumbed to cancer in 2016.

The Chili Thom artwork featured on this year’s ‘Suck It Cancer’ label is titled ‘What Lies Beneath’ and was inspired by a sailing trip Chili took on the North Coast of BC in 2012.

“It’s been amazing to watch the momentum build with this beer over the past two years,” says Ben Reeder, Marketing Director at Backcountry Brewing.

“BC beer drinkers are responding, and the support has exceeded our expectations.”

Hopped with Mosaic Strata and Citra, ‘Suck It Cancer’ also includes one of Backcountry’s favorite hops — Sabro.

Reeder says beer drinkers can expect big dank and tropical fruit notes with this double dry hopped pale ale.

Backcountry plans to brew back-to-back batches of ‘Suck It Cancer’ pale ale, available in cans and kegs across the province from September 16 through into November.

One dollar from each 4-pack, $.50 from each sleeve served in the tasting room, and $50 from each keg sold will be donated to the BC Cancer Foundation.

Backcountry Brewing has raised $26,000 from the sales of ‘Suck It Cancer’, all of which goes into care for the 80,000 British Columbians facing cancer this year, says Sarah Roth, President & CEO of BC Cancer Foundation.

Backcountry Brewing is also selling prints of Thom’s art, as well as stickers of the can label graphic at the Squamish tasting room to help raise more funds for cancer research.