Years ago, there was a commercial where people were shown grimacing with a “bitter beer face” after taking a sip of “bitter” beer. This was a reference to the rise of dank, piney, and very bitter IPAs in the late 1990s. While the ad was simply bigger brands pushing back against craft beer movement of the time, it’s still true that not everyone enjoys mouth-puckering, over-the-top bitterness in their beer. (Although, statistically speaking, a lot of people clearly do.)
As the craft brewing movement progressed, brewers started toying with the IPA as a style to lower that bitterness and attract more beer drinkers. Today, the standard IPA has branched off into sweeter juicier versions like the New England IPA and milkshake IPA, which do indeed attract beer drinkers looking for fruitier and softer versions of the dank and bitter style.
To that end, we asked a few well-known craft beer experts, brewers, and beer professionals to tell us their picks for the best IPAs with the lower levels of bitterness. Keep reading to see all of their sweeter, softer, picks that won’t leave your face looking any more uncomfortable than drinking a glass of orange juice.
Founders All Day IPA
Luis G. Brignoni, founder of Wynwood Brewing Co. in Miami
ABV: 4.7%
Average Price: $8.50 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
Why This Beer?
Founders All Day IPA is a fantastic option for drinkers who specifically avoid bitter beers. It’s a session IPA packed with hop flavor and aroma with low to mild bitterness. It’s very refreshing any time of year.
Firestone Walker Mind Haze
Jeremy Marshall, brewmaster at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California
ABV: 8.3%
Average Price: $12.50 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
This is hard because I would generally route this type of person into the hazy IPA sub-category, which, in general, features much less traditional bitterness and more fruity tropical hop aromas that burst out of the beer. The hazy subcategory is crowded and features many beers that generally all taste the same. One that stands out to me is Mind Haze by Firestone Walker. It is just delicate and balanced, but not over-done.
It’s light enough to bring you in, not bitter at all, and bursts with a very alluring and complex hop aroma that just keeps me coming back again and again.
Lawson’s Finest Sip Of Sunshine
Michael Palmer, lead innovation pilot brewer at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, California
ABV: 8%
Average Price: $15.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
Why This Beer?
Lawson’s Finest Liquids Sip of Sunshine has layer upon layer of hop complexity. There are tropical, floral, citrus, and just a touch of bitterness to bring the beer together. Overall, it’s a fantastic IPA for drinkers weary of hop bitters.
Metazoa Wicked Pawesome
Broc Eichhorst, brewer at Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis
ABV: 6.3%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
New England IPAs are tailor-made for folks who want lots of hop aroma without much bitterness, and they are everywhere. Metazoa Wicked Pawesome is an excellent local example here in Indiana. The beer hits in all the right places with low bitterness, soft mouthfeel, heavy tropical and citrus aromas, and a dry enough finish to keep you coming back.
Zero Gravity Bike Beer
Dan Lipke, head brewer at Clown Shoes Beer in Boston
ABV: 4.8%
Average Price: Limited availability
Why This Beer?
Zero Gravity Bike Beer was a great summer IPA from the Burlington, Vermont-based brewery. It’s easy-drinking at 4.8 percent ABV. There are plenty of tropical hop flavors and a bit more malt sweetness to counter the barely-there hop bitterness. I think it’s a perfect easy-drinking IPA.
Lone Pine Oh-J
Rob Day, senior director of marketing at Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, Massachusetts
ABV: 8.1%
Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
Why This Beer?
The field is open on this one, but I’ll nod to Lone Pine Oh-J. As the name implies, there are big citrus flavors that appeal to a wide range of fans who don’t want it to be bitter. It’s juicy, sweet, and very memorable.
Transient The Juice is Loose
Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
ABV: 8.1%
Average Price: $19 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
Why This Beer?
The Juice Is Loose by Transient Artisan Ales is one of those juice bombs absent of any hop bitterness. It’s a smoothly satisfying beer with bursts of citrus (mainly from the Citra hop) and passion fruit (mainly from the Simcoe hop). The name of this beer really says it all.
Weldwerks Juicy Bits DDH
Ryan Pachmayer, head brewer at Yak & Yeti Brewpub and Restaurant in Arvada, Colorado
ABV: 6.7%
Average Price: $9 for a 16-ounce can
Why This Beer?
The double dry-hopped versions of Weldwerk’s Juicy Bits really hit the spot for me when I don’t want anything super dry and bitter or big and roasty. It has a really pillowy mouthfeel, with a pretty well-balanced base for a NEIPA. But with the double dry hopped variants, they really showcase strong hop flavors on top of that base.
Boulevard The Calling
Jesse Sommers, vice president at Berthoud Brewing Company in Loveland, Colorado
ABV: 8.5%
Average Price: $12 for a four-pack
Why This Beer?
I might have to go to The Calling from Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing for this one. It goes back to the tropical fruit flavors. It’s also malty and filled with hop flavor with little bitterness.
Eagle Park Goon Juice
Brian Jaszewski, director of product management at Sprecher Brewing Co. in Glendale, Wisconsin
ABV: 8%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
My pick is Goon Juice by Eagle Park Brewing, Milwaukee. The number of tropical fruit aromas is huge, which is backed up by a little bit of pine. The bitterness is subtle with almost a slightly sweet ending.
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
John Swanson, brewing supervisor at New Belgium Brewing in Asheville, North Carolina
ABV: 7.1%
Average Price: $8 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
Why This Beer?
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale is by far the most drinkable IPA readily available on the market. Although I grew up in the pinky of Michigan, I cut my teeth brewing and drinking beer in the mountains of Colorado where Two Hearted was unavailable. Anytime a friend from the Midwest was coming out to visit, I always made sure to ask them to bring some.
It is the epitome of balance between tawny grains and crisp hop flavor. It’s not too sweet, not too bitter.
Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing
Brian Bergman, brewing director at Sycamore Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina
ABV: 6.7%
Average Price: $10 for a six-pack
Why This Beer?
A very easily accessible and pretty solid option for a low bitterness IPA is Hazy Little Thing by Sierra Nevada. It’s not going to blow you away with hop flavor, but there’s enough there to keep things interesting. It’s super consistent every time, and it also contains very little hop bitterness. It’s just easy, approachable, and can be found practically anywhere.
