The IPAs That Belong on Your Bucket List

If you’re an IPA drinker, you probably have a handful of West Coast IPAs, New England-style IPAs, and imperial IPAs that you repeatedly return to.

There’s nothing wrong with that. We’re all about finding what you enjoy and sticking with it. But if you only drink the same beers repeatedly and never branch out into anything different, you’re doing your taste buds a disservice.

There’s a whole world of choices available for fans of piney, hoppy, often bitter IPAs. At last count, more than 9,500 breweries (most of which are craft breweries) are currently operating in the United States. That’s an awful lot of beer. And you can bet that most of those breweries make an IPA or two.

But before you start to feel overwhelmed with those staggering numbers, we’re here to ease your mind. While there are more IPAs available today than you’d ever have time to drink, you don’t have to. But there are a few noteworthy, highly-rated IPAs that you must try. Below is a handful of our favorite, can’t-miss bucket list IPAs. Keep scrolling to see them all.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Intense yet balanced hop bitterness paired with a sweet malty backbone and approachable despite its strength. Instead of adding hops all at once, Dogfish Head invented a continuous hopping method—adding hops slowly and steadily over a 90-minute boil.

Founders All Day IPA

The go-to shift beer for many bartenders due to its low ABV and full flavor, it’s a session IPA that’s crushable and perfect all day.

Tree House King Julius

Tree House is the kind of brewery that brews nothing but notable beers. This is especially true with its line of “Julius” hazy IPAs. The top-rated is Tree House King Julius. Brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and Amarillo hops, it’s known for its cloudy, juicy, tropical fruit-forward flavor profile featuring astringent, gently sticky piney hops at the very finish.

Russian River Pliny the Elder

All IPA drinkers should try at least one of Russian River’s “Pliny” beers. We suggest Russian River Pliny the Elder. Brewed with Centennial, CTZ, Amarillo, and Simcoe hops, it’s beloved for its balance of tropical fruits, citrus zest, floral hops, and resinous, sticky pine needles. This beer needs to be tasted to be believed.

Toppling Goliath King Sue

This juicy, fruity, hoppy IPA is brewed exclusively with Citra hops, featuring a roaring T-Rex on the can. The result is a sublimely sippable double IPA featuring a symphony of pineapple, mango, guava, tangerine, grapefruit, and spicy, floral, dank pine on the last sip. This is a ferociously good beer that will find a permanent spot in your refrigerator all year long.

The Alchemist Heady Topper

If you’re a fan of the New England-style IPA, you should know that the hazy, juicy, fruity, hoppy style was created by brewer John Kimmich in 2004 when he released the now iconic The Alchemist Heady Topper. This 8% double IPA is brewed entirely with Simcoe hops, giving it bold flavors of tangerine, lemon, mango, grapefruit, and just a hint of prickly pine.

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