From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America’s Top Craft Beer Bars

From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - The West Coast IPA Revolution

The West Coast style of India Pale Ale (IPA) has become one of the most popular and influential beer styles in America over the past few decades. While IPAs originated in 18th century Britain, the modern American version was pioneered by brewers like Ken Grossman at Sierra Nevada and Fritz Maytag at Anchor Brewing in California in the 1970s and 80s. This new wave of hoppy, bitter brews came to define the West Coast beer scene.

So what sets West Coast IPAs apart? For starters, they tend to be drier and lighter bodied than their British forebears, with a crisp, clean malt flavor that lets the hops shine through. They also feature intense hop bitterness, with an alcohol content around 6-7% ABV. But it's the potent, citrusy American hop varieties like Cascade, Centennial and Chinook that really define the style. These bold hops impart aromas of grapefruit, pine and tropical fruit.
Over the years, breweries up and down the West Coast put their own spin on the IPA, tweaking malt bills and hop combinations. Russian River's Pliny the Elder, Alpine Beer Company's Nelson and Firestone Walker's Union Jack all helped propel the style forward. These days you can find excellent West Coast IPAs at top craft beer bars across the country.

At Toronado in San Francisco, a shrine to West Coast IPAs since 1987, the extensive draft list often features local legends like Russian River's Blind Pig along with offerings from newer NorCal stars like Moonraker and Alvarado Street. In Seattle, Brouwer's Cafe pours an ever-changing roster of Pacific Northwest IPAs from breweries like Reuben's, Cloudburst and Fremont.

Down in San Diego, often called the IPA capital of the world, Hamilton's Tavern always has a stellar selection of West Coast heavy-hitters. Look for cult favorites like Alpine Duet and Modern Times Orderville. Across the country in Vermont, the Farmhouse Tap & Grill has made a name for itself by featuring sought-after NorCal IPAs from AleSmith, Mikkeller and Cellarmaker on tap.

What else is in this post?

1. From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - The West Coast IPA Revolution
2. From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - New England Hazy IPAs Take Over the East
3. From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Beyond IPAs: Exploring Belgian and German Styles
4. From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Stouts and Porters Perfect for the Winter Months
5. From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Sour Beers Offer Tart Refreshment
6. From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Session Beers for Easy Drinking
7. From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Farmhouse Ales and Funky Flavors
8. From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Local Ingredients Shine in Fruit Beers
9. From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Barrel-Aged Beers Worth the Wait

From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - New England Hazy IPAs Take Over the East

While West Coast IPAs were dominating the craft beer scene out west, a new kind of IPA was quietly brewing on the East Coast. By the 2010s, New England-style IPAs – often referred to as NEIPAs or simply “hazy IPAs” – exploded in popularity, and they’ve since spread across the country.

So what defines this style? New England IPAs are brewed with large amounts of hops added late in the brewing process to accentuate fresh hop aroma and flavor. This also leads to a hazy, opaque appearance. They tend to have low bitterness, with a soft, pillowy mouthfeel and juicy tropical fruit and citrus flavors rather than the sharp pine and grapefruit notes of West Coast IPAs.

Tree House Brewing in Monson, MA helped jumpstart the craze, but other New England breweries like Trillium, Other Half and Hill Farmstead have also made a name for themselves with their hazy offerings. Julius from Tree House, with its orange juice-like flavor, has become something of a white whale for IPA lovers.

Because these IPAs are so hop-forward and delicate, they are best consumed extremely fresh. Beer fans have been known to line up for can releases and trade hazy IPAs with others across the country. While this style originated in New England, hazy IPAs are now brewed by trendsetting craft breweries everywhere.

At beer bars like Armsby Abbey in Worcester, MA and Torst in New York, you'll find a regularly rotating selection of Northeast IPAs from breweries like Maine Beer Company, Bissell Brothers and Equilibrium served up fresh. Beyond the Northeast, top beer bars like Tampa's Cigar City Cider & Mead and San Francisco's Mikkeller Bar also mix in New England-style offerings alongside the West Coast IPAs.

From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Beyond IPAs: Exploring Belgian and German Styles

While IPAs may dominate the craft beer scene, there's a whole world of flavorful brews to explore beyond the hoppy realm. For those looking to expand their horizons, the intricate beers of Belgium and Germany offer a refreshing change of pace.

Belgian beers run the gamut from light and crisp witbiers to dark, roasty dubbels and tripels. The Trappist monks have perfected these abbey ales over centuries, coaxing complex flavors through unique fermentation and aging techniques. At breweries like Chimay, Rochefort and Westmalle, sipping one of their creations is almost a spiritual experience. You'll find Belgian classics on tap at top beer bars like Falling Rock Taphouse in Denver, which features a rotating cast from breweries like Brouwerij Verhaeghe, Oud Beersel and De Dolle Brouwers.

Meanwhile, Denver's own Bruz Beers specializes in Belgian-style brewing, turning out artisanal saisons, blonde ales and sour brown ales. In Ann Arbor, Michigan, famed Arbor Brewing Company's large Belgian portfolio includes the Witte Chocolade, brewed with organic cocoa nibs. Of course, at Monk's Café in Philadelphia, often called America's Belgian beer mecca, you'll discover vintage Belgian imports alongside Yards Brewing Company's Abbey-style ales.

Beyond the Belgian realm, German beer styles also offer a nice contrast to the hop-forward beers dominating the American craft brewing scene. At Zum Schlüssel in Milwaukee, sip on an extensive selection of German lagers and wheat beers straight from Munich's most venerable breweries, like Weihenstephaner, Paulaner and Ayinger.

Or head to Prost! In Denver, where they're laser-focused on meticulously crafted German-style brews. Their fine-tuned lagers, kölsches, pilsners and wheat beers pay homage to tradition while putting a Colorado spin on things. Want to taste German beer at the source? Philadelphia's Brauhaus Schmitz imports craft brews directly from family breweries in Germany so you can experience authentic styles like märzen, dunkel and rauchbier.

From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Stouts and Porters Perfect for the Winter Months

As the weather turns colder, beer lovers' tastes shift to heartier, darker brews that provide comforting warmth against winter's chill. Rich, roasty stouts and porters really hit the spot when the mercury drops. These bold, full-bodied black brews pack a flavor punch, with roasted coffee and chocolate notes as well as higher alcohol content. Sipping a creamy, decadent imperial stout or oatmeal porter by the fire is one of life's simple pleasures on a snowy night.

The Irish brewing tradition has long perfected stouts, tracing their origins back to the 18th century St James's Gate Brewery (now Guinness). On the other side of the pond, American craft brewers have put their own stamp on the style, turning out barrel-aged and adjunct-laden riffs on the classics. Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout) and Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout both spend time mellowing in bourbon barrels, boasting intense vanilla and oak notes. Maine Beer Company's Mean Old Tom balances the richness with a bright hop presence.

Meanwhile, Deschutes' Obsidian Stout and North Coast's Old Rasputin rely on time-honored recipes focused purely on that deep, roasted malt complexity. Of course, you can't go wrong by ordering up a perfect pour of creamy Guinness Draught with its cascading surge of cascading nitrogen bubbles.

Over at Black Raven Brewing in Redmond, WA, you'll find winter warming stouts infused with chiles, cinnamon sticks, cacao nibs and other hearty additions. Their Porcine Divine Imperial Stout aged in rum barrels is ideal for sipping fireside after braving the Seattle drizzle. In Vermont, buzzed-about Frost Beer Works turns out luxurious imperial stouts like Moonraker with lactose and vanilla beans for a velvety mouthfeel. Their Secret Stash Stout spends 8 weeks mellowing in rye whiskey barrels from Vermont's own WhistlePig distillery.
When it comes to rich, roasty porters, Pennsylvania's Voodoo Brewery leads the pack with their barrel-aged Big Black Voodoo Daddy. For a hint of piney hops, Maine Beer Company's King Titus Porter can't be beat. Of course, no discussion of porters would be complete without mentioning Anchor Porter, an American craft beer institution since 1972 with its distinctive balance of dark roasted malts and a pronounced hop bitterness.

From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Sour Beers Offer Tart Refreshment

Sour beers provide an invigorating taste experience unlike any other style. While IPAs and stouts aim to overwhelm the palate with intense bitterness and heavy roasted flavors, sour beers take a lighter, brighter approach. Their tangy, tart acidity adds a thirst-quenching dimension that's downright refreshing on a sweltering summer day.

Sour beer encompasses a diverse family of wild fermented ales and kettle sours. In traditional Belgian lambics like those brewed at Cantillon, wild yeast strains like Brettanomyces give the beer its distinctive sour flavor profile during fermentation and aging in oak wine barrels. American craft brewers have embraced these old-world techniques while also using creative shortcuts like lactic acid additions to replicate those lip-puckering flavors more rapidly.
The resulting beers tantalize the taste buds with an array of tangy fruit flavors that literally make your mouth water. From the bright lemon notes in a Berliner Weisse to the deeper stone fruit flavors in a Flanders red ale, sours excite the palate in a way few other beers can match. Their zippy effervescence and restrained malt character make them light and nimble on the tongue.

Beer fans have come to relish the champagne-like carbonation and dry finish of these avant-garde brews. While an overly hoppy double IPA can weigh you down, a few pints of a ginger-laced gose goes down easy on a scorching summer day. That ability to stimulate and refresh in equal measure gives sour beers added appeal when temperatures rise.
Trillium Brewing in Boston has gained near mythic status among sour beer devotees for their lineup of mixed fermentation ales like Pot & Kettle. Their Fort Point location always has rotating sours on tap like Wild Sinola, a strawberry Berliner Weisse, and Rosalita, aged on raspberries. Jester King down in Austin excels at replicating traditional Belgian styles with Texas terroir, turning out mineral-laced wild ales and lambics at their picturesque farmhouse brewery.
Over on the West Coast, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales stakes their reputation on complex sour beers like their flagship Saison Bernice aged in white wine puncheons. Up north in rural Washington, Hadley's Brewery crafts stellar oud bruins, Flanders reds and fruit-forward sours using local wine barrels. Their Dry Fly Persica, refermented with peaches, offers an ideal balance of sweetness and puckering tartness.

From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Session Beers for Easy Drinking

After one too many heavy-hitting imperial stouts or double IPAs, beer lovers know the appeal of a low-alcohol session beer that goes down smooth. While those high-gravity beers have their place, sipping pint after pint can lead to palate fatigue. That’s where light, crushable session beers shine. With alcohol content dialed way down to 4-5% ABV, you can enjoy multiple rounds without getting weighed down.

Session IPAs provide all the hoppy flavor without the boozy burn. Founders Solid Gold hits the spot with its crisp, golden body and generous Citra and Mosaic hopping. Maine Beer Company's Daymark delivers a bright tropical fruit hop kick at just 4.5% ABV. Meanwhile, Sam Adams' new Just the Haze acts as the lighter, more quaffable version of their New England IPA.
Classic English session bitters also excel, with their mild, toasty malt backbone balancing restrained English hop bitterness. Firestone Walker’s easy-drinking Flyjack Ramble captures this pub style perfectly. Meanwhile, low-alcohol Belgian table beers like Allagash's Hugh Malone provide a savory, herbal refreshment.

Of course, German brewing tradition perfected sessionable brews, from crisp, crackery pilsners to malty yet light helles lagers. Jack's Abby House Lager, von Trapp Bohemian Pilsner, and Urban Chestnut Zwickel all hit the spot when you’re looking for a flavorful yet mellow brew.

For some, nothing satisfies on a sweltering summer day like a sharp, quenching Berliner weisse. Anderson Valley's tart Blood Orange Gose at just 4.2% ABV provides the ideal beach beer. Belgian-style witbiers also fit the bill, with their bright citrus and coriander flavors coupled with effervescent carbonation. Allagash White and Avery White Rascal remain go-to wheats for summer refreshment.
Beyond these classic styles, innovative craft brewers have embraced sessionable brewing. Founders Green Zebra satisfies hop heads and sour fans alike with its dry-hopped gose-style ale brewed with sea salt and coriander. Maine Beer Company's Tiny Umbrellas delivers big citrus flavor at just 4.6% ABV through massive late hop additions.

While high-gravity barrel-aged brews get all the press, some brewers are aging low alcohol sours and farmhouse ales in wine barrels. Allagash's Coolship Cerise, aged in oak with cherries, provides tart fruit flavors and a champagne-like effervescence, yet still clocks in at just 4.5% ABV. Drink beer all day long without getting derailed.

From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Farmhouse Ales and Funky Flavors

The remote hills and valleys of Belgium’s Senne River valley foster conditions perfect for producing sour and funky beers with terroir. For generations, small family brewers here have crafted rustic saisons, Flanders red ales, and oud bruins relying on well water, local grains, and ambient microbes. This brewing tradition gave rise to what we now call farmhouse ales.

Modern American craft brewers have breathed new life into old-world farmhouse styles by embracing wild fermentation with local microflora. At breweries like Jester King in Austin, TX and De Garde Brewing in Tillamook, OR, the brewing process channels the Senne River Valley traditions. They’ve cultivated unique yeast strains and bacteria native to their breweries which lend distinct regional flavors.
Once relegated to rural Belgium and Northern France, funky flavors from Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus have infiltrated the craft beer world. These wild bugs create tart, earthy, even barnyard-like flavors through unpredictable fermentation. Brewers at Allagash, New Belgium, and The Bruery experiment with spontaneous fermentation by cooling their beer in open vessels to capture airborne microbes.

Other brewers skip spon fermentation and pitch known strains instead. At Colorado’s TRVE Brewing, the Prehistoric Dog Brett IPA balances the citrus hop character with a tropical funk from several Brett strains. They also turn out blended sours like Acid Temple, refermented with Brett, Lacto, and Pedio for a pronounced tartness.

While sour beers often overshadow them, modern farmhouse ales also showcase the rustic roots of Belgian saisons. Brewers like Hill Farmstead in Vermont pay homage to tradition while reinventing the style with local ingredients and creative fermentation. Their saisons exhibit a lovely musty, hay-like quality with subtle tartness.

At Side Project in St. Louis, Cory King specializes in barrel-aged farmhouse ales exhibit mouthwatering complexity. His Saison du Ble, aged in Chardonnay barrels with Champagne yeast, offers notes of peach skin, doughy malt, and oaky tannins. These sophisticated American riffs on classic farmhouse brewing never sacrifice their rural roots.
The beer itself often reflects the bucolic countryside of these breweries. Cows graze on pastures surrounding Scratch Brewing’s barn in Ava, IL where they follow a hyperlocal approach using foraged plants and mushrooms along with homegrown grains. Their funky gruits and botanical ales taste like liquid edible landscapes teeming with biodiversity.

From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Local Ingredients Shine in Fruit Beers

One emerging trend in the craft brewing scene is the use of local, seasonal fruit to impart natural sweetness and bold flavors. While adjuncts like orange peel or cherries have long been used in certain styles, innovative brewers now highlight the fresh fruit bounty from their region. These fruited beers offer a uniquely local experience by letting native produce shine.

Traveling beer fans enjoy discovering what’s ripe and flavorful in each area they visit. "Every region has different fruits that thrive in their microclimates," says Bill Manley of Carson's Brewery in Michigan. "We try to take advantage by brewing IPAs, sours, and stouts that showcase those ingredients." Their Blueberry Crème Brûlée Stout highlights the plump blueberries grown nearby. The jammy flavor mingles with vanilla and roasted malt to recreate the custard dessert.
At Fonta Flora in North Carolina, they infamous for their Appalachian Wild Harvest series. These rustic ales highlight foraged local products like ramps, chanterelle mushrooms, and paw paws along with backyard berries and heirloom apples found in the Carolina foothills. Their Beets, Rhymes and Life mix-fermented ale brings earthy beet flavor with a tart berry zing.

Up in Oregon's Willamette Valley, Anthem Brewing relies on the region's renowned berry harvest and wine grapes. Their Cascade Berry Cider features juicy marionberries and strawberries sourced straight from a neighbor's farm down the road. Their Cerise Noir tart cherry gose captures the bold flavors of cherries grown nearby in The Dalles that are traditionally used for pie filling. The bubbly, salt-kissed sour highlights the cherries' natural tangy sweetness.

From IPAs to Stouts: Must-Sip Brews at America's Top Craft Beer Bars - Barrel-Aged Beers Worth the Wait

While most beers go from grain to glass in a matter of weeks, barrel-aged beers take months or even years before they’re ready to savor. This lengthy aging in wooden barrels—often retired bourbon or wine casks—imparts pronounced oak, vanilla, and spirit notes that regular beers can’t achieve. While the wait can be agonizing, it unlocks a complexity and depth of flavor not found in other brews.
Barrel-aging was traditionally used with Belgian lambics and wild ales. Over time, American brewers realized that bourbon barrels could transform hearty stouts as well. Goose Island's Bourbon County Brand Stout, first released in 1992, pioneered this style and inspired countless other imperial stouts aged in whiskey casks. The lush vanilla flavors mingle with roasted malt, enveloping the palate in whiskey-tinged luxury.
These days, innovative brewers are aging a diverse range of beers beyond just stouts. IPAs mellow out beautifully in bourbon barrels, the vanilla rounding out their bitter bite. Brands like Deschutes' Mirror Mirror and New Holland's Dragon's Milk Reserve show how time in oak barrels can refine even the boldest hops. Meanwhile, breweries like The Rare Barrel in California specialize in wild ales aged in wine casks, developing an array of vinous flavors.
However, such quality comes at a cost. All that time cradled in barrels racks up expenses for the brewer. Limited availability also drives up demand—and thus prices—for these beers. But for craft aficionados, getting your hands on a rare barrel-aged brew delivers pure bliss. The first sip alone confirms it was worth the wait.
Matt Lincecum, owner of Seattle’s Fremont Brewery, knows well the pains and rewards of barrel-aging. Their reserve series features popular brews like Dark Star bourbon barrel-aged imperial oatmeal stout. Lincecum admits these small-batch offerings require a "ton of work," but feels the resulting depth of flavor makes that effort worthwhile. For enthusiasts who appreciate subtle oak nuances, he says, "barrel-aged beers are the pinnacle."