When it comes to beer, even though the lager will always be king, a strong argument can be made for the IPA. Although divisive, few modern beers are more popular than this hoppy, piney, floral, and often bitter style.
More than 9,000 breweries are currently operating in the U.S., and you can bet that most make at least one or two IPAs. Whether it’s a hazy IPA, West Coast IPA, or any IPA in between, there are a lot to choose from. The best part? Some of the best examples of the style are available at your neighborhood beer or grocery store.
And while you’re sure to find some great local craft IPAs at your local marketplace, some New England–style IPAs, West Coast IPAs, East Coast IPAs, and Double and Triple IPAs are available almost anywhere.
Fear not! You don’t have to muddle through the cooler at your local grocer’s or bodega in search of these hop-fueled gems. The work has been done for you. Below, you’ll find some of the best grocery store IPAs to add to your refrigerator all year long.
Cigar City Florida Man
Cigar City Jai Alai is a trendy grocery store IPA. But if you’re looking for something with more oomph, you’ll want to buy Cigar City’s double IPA lovingly called Florida Man. This 8.5 percent IPA is brewed with Citra, Azacca, El Dorado, and Mandarina Bavarian hops. This results in a boozy, surprisingly balanced brew with ripe peach and tangerine notes. Expect lemon peels, bready malts, and crisp, dry, hoppy bitterness at the finish.
Buy (6-pack): $12.99
Ballast Point Sculpin
There are few IPAs more well-known than Ballast Point Sculpin. Named for the stinging Sculpin fish, this iconic West Coast IPA is brewed with Amarillo and Simcoe hops. The result is a grapefruit, tangerine, and tropical fruit-filled IPA that ends with a “sting” of dank, bitter pine. There’s a reason this is one of the most popular, easy-to-find IPAs of all time. It’s balanced, flavorful, and perfectly bitter at the finish.
Buy (6-pack): $12.99
Bell’s Two Hearted
If you only purchase one beer on this list, make it the beloved, award-winning Bell’s Two Hearted. Brewed and entirely dry-hopped with Centennial hops, this epic IPA is known for its mix of caramel malts, grapefruit, and dank, resinous pine needles. This 7 percent ABV IPA is available year-round, and can be enjoyed during any season. The best part? It’s available almost everywhere.
Buy (6-pack): $11.99
New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze
New Belgium might be best known for its famous Fat Tire Amber. But if you prefer hazy IPAs, you’ll love its easy-to-find New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze. This 7.5 percent ABV New England-style IPA is brewed with Pale malt, C-80 malt, wheat, and oats. It gets its hop aroma and flavor from the addition of Citra, Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe, and Nugget hops. It’s juicy, fruity, citrusy, and loaded with tropical flavors you won’t soon forget.
Buy (6-pack): $11.99
Firestone Walker Union Jack
California’s Firestone Walker is a brewery that could easily have a half-dozen entries on this list. But if you were only going to pick one grocery store IPA from this famous brand, it should be Firestone Walker Union Jack. Brewed to pay tribute to the English-born half of its pair of founders, this iconic tropical fruit, citrus, and pine-centric IPA is brewed with Two Row, Munich, and Crystal Light malts. It gets its hop aroma and flavor from being kettle-brewed with CTZ, Cascade, and Centennial hops and dry-hopped with Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe, Citra, Amarillo, and Chinook hops.
Buy (6-pack): $10.99
Stone IPA
Southern California is the heart of West Coast IPAs. Located in Escondido, Stone Brewing is one of the pioneers of balanced, piney, pleasantly bitter IPAs. Brewed since 1997, Stone IPA is as classic as they get. This award-winning, easy-to-find 6.9 percent ABV IPA is brewed with a smattering of Magnum, Chinook, Centennial, Azacca, Calypso, Ella, and Vic Secret hops. The result is a sublimely balanced West Coast IPA featuring notes of pineapple, grapefruit, lemon peels, wet grass, and sticky, resinous, perfectly bitter pine.
Buy (12-pack): $18.99
Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing
Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing is one of the first major New England-style IPAs available from coast to coast. The best part? It’s an all-around great beer. It begins with a base of Munich malt, two-row Pale malt, oats, and wheat. It’s hopped with Citra, El Dorado, Magnum, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops. The result is an effortlessly juicy, hazy, unfiltered IPA featuring flavors like caramelized pineapples, orange peels, honeydew melons, mango, and dank, prickly hops with very little bitterness.
Buy (6-pack): $11.99
Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA
You’d have difficulty finding a more flavorful grocery store IPA than Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. It gets its name because it is continuously hopped for a full sixty minutes with Northwest hops. The result is a memorable IPA bursting with pine needles, tropical fruit and citrus flavors. It’s the perfect beer for IPA fans who can’t get enough hops, and one that needs to be tasted to be believed.
Buy (6-pack): $10.99
