Top 10 American IPAs Brewed in America
This Top Ten American IPA list is from the U.S. Open Beer Championship, Great American Beer Festival, and World Beer Cup and more. An American IPA (India Pale Ale) is a hop-forward craft beer style that originated in the United States, characterized by its bold aroma, pronounced bitterness, and vibrant flavors of citrus, pine, floral, and tropical fruit from American-grown hops like Cascade, Citra, and Simcoe. It typically has an ABV ranging from 5.5% to 7.5% and a clean, dry finish, with a light to medium malt backbone that lets the hops take center stage.
1. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale – Bell’s Brewery – Michigan
A benchmark American IPA brewed exclusively with Centennial hops, offering a harmonious blend of pine and citrus flavors. ABV: 7.0%
2. Immutable Dawn – ISM Brewing – California
Immutable Dawn is packed with Simcoe and Strata hops delivering notes of Triple Sec, red Otter Pops, and citrus peel bitterness alongside a clean, dry finish at 6.6% ABV.
3. West Coast Select – Evans Brewing Co – California
West Coast Select delivers classic West Coast pine, citrus, berry, and tropical hop notes with a crisp, balanced finish at 7% ABV.
4. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA – Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – California
Utilizing the “Hop Torpedo” dry-hopping device, this IPA offers intense hop aromas and a robust flavor. ABV: 7.2%
5. Lost – New Terrain Brewing – Colorado
Lost bursts with fragrant hops, pink grapefruit, juicy mango, and dank citrus notes alongside a bright malt body at 6.7% ABV.
6. Sticky Bear – Moonraker Brewing– California
Sticky Bear is a classically dry, piney, and bitter West Coast-style American IPA brewed by Moonraker Brewing Company in Auburn, California, featuring juicy pineapple, pear, lime, and berry notes upfront that give way to a crisp, hoppy finish at 7.0% ABV.
7. Langdon IPA – Cellar West Brewery – Colorado
Langdon is a classic American IPA, featuring bright citrus notes of pink grapefruit, lemon zest, and pineapple alongside smooth pine and a sturdy malt backbone, with a crisp, lightly bitter finish at 6.9% ABV
8. Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA – Deschutes Brewery – Oregon
This IPA features juicy citrus and grapefruit flavors from a heavy dose of Citra and Mosaic hops. ABV: 6.4%
9. Des Moines IPA – Confluence Brewing Company – Iowa
Des Moines IPA is a well-balanced American IPA, featuring citrusy and piney Pacific Northwest hops with a robust malt backbone, medium body, and crisp finish at 6.9% ABV.
10. Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA – Firestone Walker Brewing Company – California
A well-crafted IPA with a pronounced hop aroma and a balanced malt character, delivering grapefruit and tangerine flavors. ABV: 7.0%
History of the American IPA
The American India Pale Ale (IPA) emerged in the late 20th century as a bold reinterpretation of the traditional English IPA, which was historically brewed with high hop content and alcohol to survive long sea voyages to colonial India. In the United States, the craft beer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, spurred by pioneers like Anchor Brewing and Sierra Nevada, set the stage for the IPA’s transformation. Brewers began experimenting with American hop varieties like Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook, which imparted distinctive citrus, pine, and floral notes. Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, released in 1980, became a precursor, showcasing Cascade hops and inspiring a new generation of brewers to push hop bitterness and aroma to new heights. By the 1990s, breweries like Stone Brewing and Dogfish Head were crafting intensely hopped IPAs, with Stone’s Arrogant Bastard Ale (1997) and Dogfish Head’s 60 Minute IPA (2003) cementing the style’s reputation for bold flavors and high bitterness, often exceeding 60 IBUs (International Bitterness Units).
The American IPA evolved further in the 2000s with the rise of substyles like Double IPAs (DIPAs) and the hazy, juicy New England IPA (NEIPA). Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing, first brewed in 1999, became an iconic DIPA, balancing extreme hoppiness with malt sweetness, while Vermont’s The Alchemist introduced Heady Topper in 2003, a hazy, fruit-forward NEIPA that prioritized aroma over bitterness. These innovations reflected a shift toward diverse expressions of the IPA, driven by consumer demand and brewer creativity. Today, American IPAs dominate craft beer, with over 9,000 breweries in the U.S. (as of 2023) producing countless variations, from sessionable low-ABV IPAs to barrel-aged and fruited versions, solidifying the style as a cornerstone of global beer culture.
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