When it comes to beer, we don’t follow seasonal rules. We enjoy a stout or porter on a chilly night but don’t stop drinking IPAs just because it’s cold outside. Especially when it comes to imperial IPAs — which are still very IPA-ish but feel pretty dialed to this time of year.
Imperial IPAs are a great accompaniment to Thanksgiving fare because they help to cut through the fat and salty flavors of the myriad side dishes hitting the table. But instead of listing hard-to-find IPAs you’ll never get your hands on, we decided to list (and rank) eight of our favorite hoppy, flavorful imperial IPAs that are available almost anywhere. These are the brews that deserve a spot on your Thanksgiving table — keep reading to see them all and the dishes they pair best with!
8) Stone Enjoy By IPA
ABV: 9.4%
Average Price: $17 for a six-pack
The Beer:
The newest iteration of Stone’s popular Enjoy By IPA is specifically referred to as Stone Enjoy Bu 10.31.23. And while that time has passed (it’s simply the date Stone thinks the beer will taste the best), we still want this 9.4% ABV imperial hazy IPA on our table thanks to its fruity, juicy flavor thanks to a symphony of Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo, and Nelson Sauvin hops.
Tasting Notes:
This hazy, unfiltered IPA begins with a nose of citrus peels, grapefruit, and tropical fruit juiceness. The palate continues this trend of tangerine, pineapple, and grapefruit taking center stage. It all ends with a nice dry, semisweet finish that will leave you craving more.
Bottom Line:
Add this beer to your list of Thanksgiving beers and pair its fruity flavor with a sharp cheddar-filled macaroni and cheese.
7) Lagunitas Maximus Colossal IPA
ABV: 9%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
With a name like Maximus, you better believe this is a big, bold IPA perfect for Thanksgiving. This 9% ABV banger is brewed with malted wheat, Munich malt, and English Crystal malt as well as a mix of hops, including Simcoe, Mosaic, CTZ, Cascade, and Centennial hops, selected for their bold, balanced aroma and flavor.
Tasting Notes:
To say this is a bold, big IPA is an understatement. The nose is a mix of caramel malts, floral hops, and a ton of pine. It has a boozy nose that makes you think this is going to warm you up on a cold day. The palate is filled with more biscuit-like, sweet malts and a ton of dank, floral, piney hops. It’s a straightforward IPA that doesn’t mess around.
Bottom Line:
This mix of heavy malts and dank pine makes this a terrific, warming beer for late November drinking. Pair it with gravy-slathered, buttery mashed potatoes to help cut some of the salt and fat.
6) Fiddlehead Second Fiddle
ABV: 8.2%
Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Vermont’s Fiddlehead is a big name in the craft beer world. It’s the kind of brewery where you can’t go wrong with anything you choose to try. But it really shines (especially in the fall) with its Second Fiddle. This 8.2% ABV imperial IPA is well-known for its over-the-top dry-hopping with Simcoe hops.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is an epic mix of malt sweetness, grapefruit zest, tangerine, and tropical fruit aromas. There are also floral, piney hops mixed in evenly as well. The palate is more of the same in the best way possible with a ton of caramelized pineapple, sweet malts, ripe grapefruit, and heavenly dank, piney hops. The finish is dry and highly memorable.
Bottom Line:
This fresh, potent, flavorful New England-style imperial IPA is well-suited to accompany your hor d’oeuvres as it pairs well with smoked cocktail sausages and cheesy artichoke dip.
5) Cigar City Florida Man
ABV: 8.5%
Average Price: $13 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Florida Man is a legend. He’s the star of countless headlines featuring the strangest (often criminal) behavior in the Sunshine State. That’s why the brewers at Tampa’s Cigar City decided to make an imperial IPA to honor this timeless classic featuring Citra, Azacca, El Dorado, and Mandarina Bavaria.
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There’s a cavalcade of candied mango, orange peels, ripe pineapple, honeydew melons, and floral pine. Sipping it reveals even more mango, pineapple, and orange peel as well as guava and other tropical fruit flavors as well as a nice caramel malt backbone. It’s balanced, juicy, malty, and loaded with fruit flavors and has a nice lightly bitter finish.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of dark meat on Thanksgiving, this is the beer for you as it works well to brighten the fattier meat cuts.
4) Southern Tier 2X IPA
ABV: 8.2%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
There are few beers more aptly named than Southern Tier 2XIPA. This bold imperial IPA is brewed with 2-row pale malt, Superior Pale malt, and wheat as well as Citra, Simcoe, CTZ, Cascade, and Centennial hops.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find notes of bready, sweet malts, grapefruit peels, and a ton of dank, resinous pine. The palate starts with a nice caramel, biscuity malt backbone that also features tangerine, grapefruit, stone fruits, pineapple, and pine needles. The finish is pleasantly bitter, piney, and dry.
Bottom Line:
You might not think of it, but the bold, dank piney flavor of this imperial IPA is a great match for rich, indulgent pumpkin cheesecake or carrot cake (if that’s what you’re into for Thanksgiving desserts).
3) Sixpoint Resin
ABV: 9.1%
Average Price: $11 for a four-pack
The Beer:
Sixpoint is well-known for its piney IPAs and Resin is one of the best. This 9.1% ABV imperial IPA is dank incarnate with a load of Chinook and Centennial hops, giving it massive resinous, pine needles aromas and flavors.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of mango, guava, passionfruit, caramel malts, tangerine, and a ton of dank pine male for a very welcoming nose. The palate is loaded with honey and caramel malts as well as grapefruit, candied orange peels, tropical fruits, and floral, dank, resinous pine. The finish is dry, and bitter, and lingers for the perfect amount of time.
Bottom Line:
A beer this dank pine-centric pairs best with spicy food. If your family’s turkey is done Cajun-style or your sausage stuffing leans on the spicier side, this is the beer for you.
2) Bell’s Hopslam
ABV: 10%
Average Price: $17 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Bell’s Hopslam used to be a very limited seasonal beer that was only available in January. In the last few years, they’ve moved its release to October. Even though it’s less limited, this imperial IPA brewed with six different hop varietals in the kettle as well as a Simcoe dry-hopping, is the perfect choice for cold-weather drinking.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with scents of stone fruits, ripe grapefruit, tangerine, lemongrass, and a heavy hit of dank, floral, piney hops. One sip and you’ll be transported to a world of honey sweetness, caramel malts, citrus peels, tropical fruits, and floral, very dank pine needles. The finish is semisweet and pleasantly bitter.
Bottom Line:
Dank, piney IPAs are great palate cleansers. Drink after your heavy meal to prepare your taste buds for the pumpkin pie and other desserts.
1) Lawson’s Finest Sip of Sunshine
ABV: 8%
Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Lawson’s Finest Liquids is another mainstay of the Vermont beer scene, and its flagship offering is Sip of Sunshine, an imperial IPA brewed with Citra and CTZ hops. This New England-style IPA is known for its mix of tropical fruit sweetness and dank wave after wave of flora pine aroma and flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Ripe pineapple, guava, mango, papaya, and a ton of other tropical flavors start the nose of pn a great note. They are followed by citrus peels and a wallop of dank pine. The palate is filled with grapefruit, tangerine, grass, caramel malt, peach, mango, and spicy, floral, resinous piney. The finish is a mix of sweetness and pleasing bitterness.
Bottom Line:
If you add bacon or smoked sausage to your stuffing, this dank, piney, juicy IPA is well-suited to cut through to fat, salt, and smoky flavors well while offering a nice balance. It’s a wonderful beer for the IPA love on Thanksgiving.
