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The nearest ocean beach is at least three and a half hours away — not too far but not too close for a casual trip either. So instead, GoodLife Brewing Company has brought the beach to us with its latest summer seasonal.

The brewery introduced Beach Life Pineapple Pale Ale last month, describing it as a tropical twist on a classic American pale ale. Starting with an easy-drinking pale ale recipe, the brewers added fresh pineapple puree for its fruit punch.

Besides being a standard in tropical cocktails, pineapple and similar fruits are increasingly popular additions to pale ales and IPAs. They play well with the tropical and citrus characteristics of newer hop strains showcased in these styles, particularly in hazy New England-style IPA.

Several local breweries have dabbled with the fruit, including Cascade Lakes Brewing Company with its year-round Pineapple Kush IPA, Sunriver Brewing Company with its limited release Pineapple Haze Hazy IPA, and Wild Ride Brewing Company with a pineapple variant of its Hidden Trail Pale Ale series last year.

GoodLife paired the pineapple with Amarillo and Mandarina Bavaria hops, two varieties that emphasize citrus and tropical fruit qualities. Amarillo tends to be flowery and emphasizes orange and lemon, while Mandarina Bavaria is often fruitier with tangerine as a signature element along with pineapple and lime.

At 6.2% alcohol by volume, it’s at the upper end of strength for the pale ale style, but doesn’t taste like it. The 35 IBUs provide a nice hop balance without straying into IPA territory. The brewery’s tasting notes say, “A light malt bill helps bring out the citrus and pineapple then with just the right amount of hops bitter the beer perfectly to remind you it is a pale ale.”

Beach Life pours clear and golden into the glass, with a prominent yet balanced aroma of fresh pineapple reaching your nose. The hops offer up additional sweet tropical juice notes for a fresh and summery impression, followed by a floral magnolia-like scent.

The flavor is a blend of chopped pineapple, biscuit-like toasted cereal maltiness and a gentle earthy pineapple rind bitterness from the hops. The fresh fruit character gives way to the hoppiness mid-palate, and it finishes malty with a kiss of fruit. There’s a lingering, subtle pineapple aftertaste that could easily translate into a beachside cocktail.

With just such a beer cocktail in mind, here’s an idea to try that goes in a pina colada direction. It’s an easy recipe; add one and a half ounces of coconut rum, and one and a half ounces of pineapple juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Top it off with one can of Beach Life, stir briefly, and strain into a pint glass. Garnish it with a wedge of pineapple and enjoy on the patio in the sun. For an additional spicy kick, add a splash or two of ginger ale with the beer.

Beach Life is available for a limited time on draft and in six-packs, and is a great summertime addition to your beer fridge. If you do happen to make it to the beach, open up a can and dig your toes in the sand.