August 1st is National IPA Day. Even if you aren’t a fan of the super-hopped, sometimes face-meltingly bitter style, you have to appreciate the IPA’s staying power. Even after the popularization of double-hopped, triple-hopped, imperial, New England-style, and even (more recently) Brut and Rosé Pale Ales, the original IPA remains the most popular American craft beer from coast to coast.
It doesn’t matter what brewery you walk into, you’re going to find a few classic IPAs on draught. Fruity versions. Bitter versions. Weird versions that are as likely to confuse you as thrill you. Probably all three.
This means small craft brewers all over the US are creating new IPA offerings every week. Many are amazing, to be sure, but these smaller batch IPAs are usually either extremely hard to find or quickly disappear (only to be replaced by another IPA). It’s hard to find your groove and drink it repeatedly. All is not lost, though. There’s a wide array of high-quality, guaranteed-to-please IPAs available almost anywhere beer is sold.
Check out eight of our favorites below and let us know which you stan for in the comments.
Ballast Point Sculpin
San Diego’s Ballast Point’s beers are available pretty much anywhere. It’s flagship (and best) beer is Sculpin — an award-winning IPA with strong grapefruit, peach, and tropical flavors (depending on the iteration) paired with the bitter hit of hops that IPA fans expect.
Sierra Nevada Torpedo
Sierra Nevada is most well-known for everyone’s go-to pale ale. But, if you haven’t tried Torpedo, now is the time. Referred to as an “Extra IPA”, Torpedo has hints of pine, tropical fruits, and subtle hop spice without the bitter finish.
It’s also 7.2 percent ABV so it should be given the respect it deserves.
Founders All Day IPA
There might not be a more aptly named beer than Founders All Day IPA. This sessionable, highly-crushable IPA is only 4.7 percent ABV so you won’t feel like a few pints at lunch will drag down the rest of your day. It’s well-balanced, yet complex with crisp apple, grain, citrus, and just a hint of floral hops at the end.
For what it’s worth — and it’s worth a fair bit — this beer is, by far, the one that comes up the most in our Brewers Tell Us series.
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVTQEgxFW-j/
With a name like Hop Stoopid, you better be a fan of hops if you’re going to grab a bottle of this IPA. This 8 percent ABV, 102 IBU brew is dry-hopped and brimming with huge citrus and tropical fruit flavors with a giant hit of dank hop flavor.
Victory DirtWolf
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjqYVRRhRL6/
Victory brewing is like Drake: hits. for. days. One of the best is its Dirt Wolf IPA. This 8.7 percent ABV double IPA is chocked with Citra, Simcoe, Mosiac, and Chinook hops. The result of all that hop action is a complex brew with hints of mango, orange peel, resin, with a clean, subtly hoppy finish.
Firestone Walker Union Jack
If you enjoy over-the-top hoppy West Coast IPAs, Firestone Walker Union Jack is for you. This 7 percent dry-hopped IPA is full of grapefruit, pine, and herbal hoppy bursts. Those high levels of bitterness are complimented by a sweet, malty backbone.
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
A summer staple, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale is referred to as “an American style IPA” whatever that means. Made solely with Centennial hops, this IPA is full of lemon zest, grapefruit, floral flavors, and the perfect hit of bitter, piney hops at the end.
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
No IPA list is complete with Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. It’s the first in a group of IPAs for the brand (the others are 90-minute and 120-minute). The name is a reference to the amount of time the hops are boiled as well as the fact that there are over 60 hop additions throughout the hour. The result is very complex, extremely hoppy beer with a punch of bitter hops and grassy, citrus, cereal flavors.
