While there are arguments to be made about the most popular beer styles in America, it’s tough to beat the IPA in terms of overall numbers. There are over 9,000 breweries currently operating and it’s a safe bet that most are producing at least one (if not a handful of) IPA riffs. How could you possibly find the time to try them all? While there are many West Coast, New England-style, and other IPA varieties worth your time, there are many that don’t deserve your attention.
Saturation tends to do that. As a result, quality recommendations grow more vital.
With all of these great IPAs, it would seem almost impossible to pick only one to drink for the rest of your days. How could somebody possibly take on this gargantuan task? Would you look for aggressively hoppy, piney bitter bangers? Would a balance between malts and hops be key? How about juicy, cloudy, tropical fruit-filled hazies? Which IPA would you choose?
Luckily, you don’t have to. We still tasked some professionals with this question — asking a handful of craft beer experts and brewers to tell us about their picks for the one IPA they’d bring to a desert island. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Fat Head’s Head Hunter
Joe Straitiff, brewing manager at Half Acre Brewing in Chicago
ABV: 7.5%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Fat Head’s Head Hunter. It is everything that a West Coast IPA should be. Golden, crystal clear, with just enough body to stand up to the hop load. 7.5% might not be ideal for a desert island, but I could never choose a different IPA.
Tasting Notes:
The mix of new school hops with classic “C” varieties offers pineapple, citrus, and pine. Aggressively hopped, but perfectly balanced.
Bell’s Two Hearted
Ryan Schmiege, brew master at Cascade Lakes Brewing Company in Redmond, Oregon
ABV: 7%
Average Price: $13 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Bell’s Two Hearted always makes me happy. Partly because I can’t get it regularly, but also because it is reliable and classic. It’s a great desert island beer because of its balance.
Tasting Notes:
Centennial hops are awesome and the citrus, resinous quality they lend work exceptionally well with the honey, light caramel scone-like, malt backbone.
Founders Mosaic Promise
Brian Wendt, brewer at Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Waitsfield, Vermont
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
Founders’ Mosaic Promise is a can’t-miss IPA. It’s perfect as a desert island beer. Golden Promise is one of my favorite malts and it works well with Mosaic hops in this beer.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of tropical fruits and caramel malts lead to a palate of orange peels, bready malts, and grapefruit.
Bale Breaker Top Cutter
Jared Williamson, lead brewer at Schlafly Brewing in St. Louis
ABV: 6.8%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Bale Breaker Top Cutter IPA. Their brewery is surrounded by hop fields and located in the mecca of American hops in Yakima, Washington (which is one of my favorite places on the planet).
Tasting Notes:
This West Coast IPA hits all the notes of pine and citrus you want, and it’s nice and bright in the age of haze.
Dogfish Head 60 Minute
George Hummel, grain master of My Local Brew Works in Philadelphia
ABV: 6%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
If forced to enjoy a single IPA, my choice would be Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. The distinctive flavors are brought to the beer by DFH’s continuous hopping process.
Tasting Notes:
The brew just drips with citrus and pine and each sip invites another. Like the hopping process itself, it’s just wave after wave of flavor.
Russian River Blind Pig
Bryan Donaldson, brewing innovation manager at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California
ABV: 6.25%
Average Price: $8 for a 6.9-ounce bottle
The Beer:
I am stuck on a desert island, it is likely to be hot most of the time and in that case, I don’t know if I want to be drinking beer that often, but if I had to choose, I would take as much Blind Pig from Russian River Brewing Company as possible.
Tasting Notes:
Blind Pig doesn’t get the same hype as big brother Pliny, but for my money, it is a smoother, easier-to-drink beer. Classic IPA notes of pine and citrus, with just enough malt backbone and bitterness to leave you refreshed.
Lupulin Hooey
Garth Beyer, certified Cicerone and owner of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
ABV: 6.2%
Average Price: $19 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Normally when you get six plus hops into a beer, it becomes a muddy mess of competing flavors and aromatics, but Lupulin Brewing has managed to harmonize Simcoe, Citra, El Dorado, Mosaic, Amarilla and Mandarina Bavaria hops in their Hooey.
Tasting Notes:
It’s insanely juicy (tropical and citrus flavors) and it’s perfectly medium-bodied due to its unfiltered nature. There’s simply no getting tired of drinking Hooey.
Maine Beer Lunch
Frederic Yarm, USBG bartender at Josephine in Somerville. Massachusetts
ABV: 7%
Average Price: $8 for a 16.9-ounce bottle
The Beer:
Maine Beer Company’s Lunch is the IPA that I would take to a desert island. Named after a whale that’s survived an attack that damaged its fin, it’s the perfect allegory for the persistence needed to survive on a desert island.
Tasting Notes:
Given its delightful tropical, melon, grapefruit peel, orange, floral, and berry hop notes that are balanced by the right level of caramel malt sweetness.
Russian River R n D Series #18
Fal Allen, brewmaster at Anderson Valley Brewing Co. in Boonville, California
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $7 for a 500ml bottle
The Beer:
My desert island IPA would be Russian River R n D Series #18 IPA – super light and crip with a good hop aroma and flavor and assertive hop bitterness that is balanced and not over the top.
Tasting Notes:
Easy drinking yet full of hop character both in the flavor and the aroma – a total winning beer. Try it if you can find it.
Two Roads Lil’ Heaven Session IPA
Andrew Hueston, USBG bartender at El Vez in Philadelphia
ABV: 4.8%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
My go-to desert island beer is Two Roads Lil’ Heaven Session IPA. It’s a sessionable, crushable 4.8% ABV, but is still balanced and full flavored. It’s definitely the kind of beer you always want in your fridge.
Tasting Notes:
A caramel malt backbone melds with floral, citrus, and gently bitter, piney hops. All in all, a well-balanced IPA.
