Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America’s Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens
Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - West Coast IPAs Worth the Hype in Portland
The Pacific Northwest is the birthplace of the West Coast IPA, a hop-forward style known for its bright, tropical fruit flavors and hazy appearance. And there’s no better place to sip these highly-sought after IPAs than Portland, Oregon – the veritable craft beer capital of the world. With more breweries per capita than any other city on the planet, Portland offers seemingly endless options when it comes to tasting juicy, aromatic IPAs.
Leading the IPA charge is Breakside Brewery, which helped put West Coast IPAs on the map back in 2010 with the release of their flagship Wanderlust IPA. Bursting with notes of peach, mango and grapefruit, this hazy, golden nectar highlights the Citra and Amarillo hops that have come to define the style. Breakside now operates three bustling taprooms throughout Portland where hop heads can sample a range of rotating IPAs on draft, from fruit-forward versions like Guava Passionfruit to classics like flagship Wanderlust.
Just up the road, Great Notion Brewing has earned a cult following for its rotating selection of New England-style IPAs, double IPAs and “juice bombs” packed with as much hoppy flavor and aroma as possible. Rotating taps like Blueberry Muffin, Peach Rings and Strawberry Shortcake play up the juicy fruit character of IPAs with additions of real fruit. Great Notion’s original NW Portland taproom even features a special “Hop Kitchen” where patrons can add fresh hop toppings to their draft beers.
Over in the Alberta Arts District, Ecliptic Brewing nods to Portland’s reputation for keeping things weird with its Cosmic Collaboration Series. This line of limited-release IPAs sees Ecliptic team up with other trendsetting breweries around the country, such as Other Half Brewing in New York and Monkish Brewing in California. The results are IPAs that push the style’s boundaries, often dry-hopped with rare, experimental hops for truly unique flavor profiles. Previous collabs have yielded hits like Center of the Universe IPA with Hudson Valley Brewery.
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- Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - West Coast IPAs Worth the Hype in Portland
- Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - New England Hazy IPAs Overflow in Vermont
- Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - The South Rises with Bold Stouts in Asheville
- Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - Michigan Brews Belgian-Style Suds in Grand Rapids
- Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - Denver Taps into Juicy IPAs and Robust Porters
- Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - Texas Is Big on Bourbon Barrel-Aged Beers
- Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - Midwest Goes Wild for Sours in Chicago
- Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - California Keeps Things Weird with Experimental Brews in San Diego
Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - New England Hazy IPAs Overflow in Vermont
Tucked away in the picturesque Green Mountains of Vermont, The Alchemist Brewery helped spark the New England IPA craze with the launch of their cult classic Heady Topper back in 2003. This unfiltered double IPA revolutionized the style with its smooth, creamy mouthfeel and explosive tropical fruit aromas from copious late hop additions. Heady Topper would launch what is now known as the Northeast-style or New England IPA – loaded with hazy hoppiness and juicy flavor.
Nearly two decades later, The Alchemist continues to be a pillar of Vermont’s booming craft beer scene, anchoring an ever-growing list of breweries specializing in New England-style IPAs. While Heady Topper is only available in limited supply at The Alchemist’s brewpub in Stowe, it helped pave the way for other Vermont breweries to push the hazy IPA envelope.
Just down the road in Waterbury, the aptly named Foley Brothers Brewing pays homage to The Alchemist’s influence with their rotating IPA series playfully dubbed “The Unaffilated.” Pouring hazy and orange, hits like Citramax put the spotlight on juicy, tropical hop varieties that define the New England IPA. Further south in Manchester, Drop-In Brewing Co. keeps things weird with milkshake-style IPAs featuring additions of real fruit and dessert inspirations. Rotating offerings like Banana Cream Pie IPA and Blueberry Cobbler IPA take flavor to the extreme.
Of course, Hill Farmstead Brewery continues to be a world-renowned destination for IPA lovers. Since launching out of a barn in Greensboro Bend back in 2010, founder Shaun Hill has earned an almost mythical reputation for his aromatic IPAs and experimental hoppy sours. While Heady Topper arguably launched the New England IPA, Hill Farmstead perfected it with favorites like Susan and Double Galaxy. Much like Heady Topper, Hill Farmstead IPAs are only available on draft in the taproom, attracting devotees from around the world on pilgrimages for fresh pints.
Further elevating Vermont’s IPA supremacy is the wealth of up-and-coming breweries that continue to push boundaries and innovate upon the style. Tucked along the banks of the Lamoille River, River Roost Brewery made a splash in 2021 with the debut of Little Wolf, a 10% ABV triple IPA bursting with dank, tropical hoppiness. Meanwhile down in Brattleboro, Hermit Thrush Brewery has earned acclaim for its colorful cans of Sap-flavored IPAs and fruited sours.
Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - The South Rises with Bold Stouts in Asheville
Tucked away in the lush Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Asheville has emerged as a Southern craft beer mecca - and when it comes to big, bold stouts, few can compete. From silky smooth milk stouts to bourbon barrel-aged beasts, Asheville’s breweries are churning out complex, roasty stouts that rival the best across the nation.
Leading Asheville’s stout revolution is Wicked Weed Brewing, which shocked the beer world by taking home gold for its barrel-aged Dark Ages imperial stout at the 2015 World Beer Cup - beating out stalwarts like Founders KBS. Pouring pitch black with hints of leather, tobacco and dark chocolate, Dark Ages highlights Wicked Weed’s skill with barrel-aging - a process they utilize for popular annual releases like Silencio brandy barrel-aged imperial stout.
Nearby, Burial Beer Co. built its reputation on inky, bourbon-laced stouts like Skillet Donut Stout - redolent of chocolate fudge and vanilla with a full, round mouthfeel. Burial also flexes its creative muscles with stouts like the recent Figgy Smalls, fermented with figs and conditioned atop vanilla beans. Or there’s the Forescore series, which sees Burial’s base Transilience Coffee Stout aged in various barrels, from Jamaican rum to Japanese whiskey.
At Highland Brewing, Asheville’s oldest brewery, tradition reigns supreme - no beer is more iconic than the chocolaty, bittersweet Black Mocha Stout. Established in 1994, Highland continuously refines the recipe for Black Mocha, honing in on the exact the blend of chocolate malts and flaked oats that deliver the perfect velvety mouthfeel. Black Mocha remains a winter staple, whether enjoyed at Highland’s lively taproom or from the comfort of home.
Meanwhile, One World Brewing draws inspiration from across the globe, as evidenced by the recent release of their Mexican Hot Chocolate Imperial Stout. This robust, full-bodied stout packs layers of chocolate, cinnamon and spice, capped off with a touch of habanero heat. It's just one of many worldly stouts that One World crafts in its diverse lineup alongside mainstays like the coconut-laced Jamaican Me Happy Stout.
Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - Michigan Brews Belgian-Style Suds in Grand Rapids
While Portland and Vermont may dominate when it comes to hop-forward IPAs, the Midwest is giving those coastal trendsetters a run for their money when it comes to Belgian-inspired brews. And Grand Rapids, Michigan has emerged as a Midwestern haven for the Belgian beer experience.
Tucked along the Grand River, Grand Rapids invites visitors to slow down and savor the finer things in life - namely, complex abbey ales, fruit-forward lambics and bottle-conditioned wild ales. Leading the charge is Founders Brewing Co., which established Grand Rapids as a destination for Belgian beer lovers when it opened back in 1997. Founders flagship Breakfast Stout starts with a rich, chocolatey base before getting the Belgian treatment - conditioned with Michigan maple syrup and oozing notes of coffee, vanilla and roasted malt. It's just one of many Founders brews to draw inspiration from Belgium, including recent hits like Blushing Padre, a stunning wild ale aged for 18 months in wine barrels with cherries.
Nearby, Brewery Vivant keeps the focus on traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ales brewed according to time-honored techniques in the heart of East Hills. Must-try's here include Triomphe, a gorgeously balanced Belgian IPA bursting with spice and stone fruit, and Flower Child, a refreshing grisette that drinks like a tropical oasis with additions of hibiscus and blood orange zest. Even Vivant's year-round Farm Hand harvest ale delivers distinctly Franco-Belgian flavor with its rustic, earthy notes of cracked black pepper.
For those who like a little wildness and funk in their beers, no Michigan brewery does Belgian spontaneity quite like Jolly Pumpkin. Here, beers like Bam Bière tenderly toe the line between tart and sweet, while the Oro de Calabaza blonde ale enchants with its golden, slightly sour profile of toasted grain, spicy hops and gentle Brettanomyces character. Jolly Pumpkin also operates the nearby Cellarmen's bottle shop and tasting room, home to exclusive beer releases and a sprawling selection of Jolly Pumpkin's barrel-aged wild offerings.
And you can't discuss Michigan's mastery of Belgian beer without mentioning New Holland Brewing, where Dragon's Milk has earned legendary status. This iconic bourbon barrel-aged stout offers a rich, velvety drinking experience redolent of vanilla, roasted malt and charred oak. New Holland regularly unveils variations on the theme like Dragon's Milk White, conditioned with cocoa nibs and Madagascar vanilla beans for a lighter take on the stout.
Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - Denver Taps into Juicy IPAs and Robust Porters
With over 100 breweries in the metro area, Denver has earned a reputation as a craft beer lover’s paradise. Two styles that Denver brewmasters have especially perfected are juicy, hop-driven IPAs and robust, chocolatey porters.
When it comes to IPAs, Denver breweries are all about pushing the flavor envelope with imaginative hop combos and additions of fruit. At Cerebral Brewing, creations like Rare Trait IPA utilize experimental hops like Sabro and Galaxy for notes of coconut, pineapple and citrus. Cerebral also expertly employs new hopping methods like hop cavitation, yielding IPAs like Secret Chat Room (Sabro) with amplified juicy flavor.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project is meanwhile is focused on making signature hazy IPAs without any filtering or fining. Top picks include Hop Savant (Simcoe & Mosaic) and Hop Cycle (Motueka & Vic Secret) which deliver huge fruit-forward flavor and irresistible soft mouthfeel.
At nearby Fiction Beer Company, the tap list is always changing but you can expect at least one juicy IPA option like Daydream Transformer with lemon zest or Coconut IPA-Radise with toasted coconut flakes. Fiction backs up the flavor with proper glassware for each beer style and a kitchen dishing out craft beer-infused grub like the IPA Battered Fish & Chips.
When you need a break from IPAs, Denver has no shortage of robust, chocolatey porters to satisfy any dark beer craving. Great Divide Brewing is legendary in this realm, thanks to its thick, velvety Yeti Imperial Stout bursting with bold espresso and chocolaty fudge notes. Yeti variations like Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti and handy four-packs of Yeti Voodoo Ranger push this beer icon into even bolder territory.
Alternatively, hit up River North Brewery’s taproom off the South Platte River trail to sample impeccable barrel-aged porters like Mr. Sandman and Nightmare Fuel. Don’t skip dessert either – River North’s Vlad imperial stout is blended with rich vanilla custard for a liquid silky, chocolatey treat.
For a true farm-to-pint experience, head to the outskirts of town to Littleton where Roaring Fork Beer Company operates a seven-acre farm. Reflecting the philosophy of using local ingredients, Roaring Fork porters prominently feature chocolate roasted along the Front Range and coffee beans sourced from proximate roasters. Flagship Gorilla Double Chocolate Porter is a local favorite, mingling two types of chocolate malt with cacao nibs.
Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - Texas Is Big on Bourbon Barrel-Aged Beers
Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes bourbon barrel-aged beers. The Lone Star State has wholeheartedly embraced the trend of aging robust stouts and bold porters in former bourbon barrels, yielding beers that deliver decadent flavors of vanilla, oak and char along with boozy bourbon undertones.
Leading the bourbon barrel charge is Jester King Brewery, located on a sprawling farm brewery about 30 minutes outside of Austin. Jester King's operation centers around artfully blending mixed fermentation, barrel-aging and local terroir to create beers that are complex, elegant and truly unique. For Jester King's Atrial Rubicite, a blonde ale is fermented with the brewery's special mixed culture before extended aging in oak barrels that formerly held bourbon and sour ales. The result is a remarkably sophisticated beer, at once funky, bright and tart yet rounded out by lush notes of vanilla and caramel.
Peticolas Brewing Company has earned a cult following in Dallas thanks to its velvety smooth Velvet Hammer imperial stout. To make the bourbon barrel-aged variant Velvet Hammer Reserva, Peticolas takes the base stout - already packed with chocolate and roasty malt flavor - and allows it to mingle with charred oak and bourbon for months. Reserva takes on added richness from the wood while smooth bourbon harmoniously intermingles with the beer's natural flavor notes of coffee and bittersweet chocolate.
The brewers at Austin Beerworks are quite thoughtful in blending base beers with specific barrels to highlight desired flavors. For Heavy Machinery IPL, the bold hop character of an India pale lager is expertly matched with a bourbon barrel that accentuates coconut and vanilla. Their popular Peacemaker Anywhere Ale also gets the bourbon treatment, with the barrel providing a pleasing accent to the beer's smooth, easy-drinking profile.
No Texas brewery melds big bourbon barrel character and Belgian-inspired beer as deftly as Martin House Brewing Company. Their signature Imperial Texan is a Belgian-style quadrupel turned up to 11 through extended aging in bourbon barrels. The beer's rich, raisin and caramel malt character embraces lush oaky vanilla notes from the barrel, while the 10.7% ABV provides a noticeable bourbon kick. Martin House's rotating line of Reserve beers regularly features more bourbon barrel-aged winners, including recent stunner Bretta Bretta Bretta - a fruited sour ale blended with bourbon and local Texas honey.
Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - Midwest Goes Wild for Sours in Chicago
While hoppy IPAs dominate many beer conversations, not every craft brewer is obsessed with hops. Some are motivated by more puckering flavors – namely, sours. And in Chicago, brewmasters are embracing funky wild ales and lip-smacking sours like never before.
Chicago may be best known for deep-dish pizza and hot dogs sans ketchup, but the city’s craft brewing scene tells a very different story. Funky, tart sours are flowing freely from taps across town, ranging from crisp, lemony Berliner Weisse's to wildly unpredictable barrel-aged concoctions blending multiple beer styles with the magic of wild yeast. Never sour on Chicago as a beer destination – not when breweries are crafting sours this good.
Leading Chicago’s wild brews is Off Color Brewing, which made an immediate splash on the sour scene in 2013 with hits like Troublesome Gose – an unfiltered wheat ale fermented with salt and coriander. For a truly unique experience, try one of Off Color’s Apex Predators, a special series of blended sours aged in wine barrels. Each vintage features wild yeast and bacteria that essentially “attack” the base beer, imparting their own unique funky, tart flavors before the components are artfully blended by Off Color’s brewers. You never know exactly what flavors will emerge but the results are always mouthwateringly delicious.
Just north of Wrigley Field, Begyle Brewing similarly rolls the dice with its rotating Galaxy Bowl Series featuring sours fermented with wild galaxy yeast harvested from local plums. Each batch emerges unexpectedly delightful – recent standouts include boysenberry-kissed Berry Blaster and the stone fruit sensation Raspberry Swirl. Begyle also aces approachable sours like the Gimmie Sour series, which yielded hits like pineapple-packed Splashy South and lemon-loving Pucker Lemon.
No brewery has pushed the envelope on wild ales quite like Moody Tongue Brewing, the acclaimed fine dining restaurant launched by renowned chef Jared Rouben. Located just south of McCormick Place, Moody Tongue’s state-of-the-art brewery is equipped with dozens of oak foeders and wine barrels used for fermenting and aging the most envelope-pushing sours. Highlights include Shaved Black Truffle Pilsner, which mingles a classic German pils with umami-rich black truffles and a Champagne yeast, and the Steeped Emperor’s Lemon saison aged atop hand-shaved lemon peels. It’s no wonder Moody Tongue sours pair perfectly with Executive Chef Lee Wolen’s refined dishes.
Hop to It: Sip Your Way Through America's Top IPAs and Stouts at these Craft Beer Havens - California Keeps Things Weird with Experimental Brews in San Diego
San Diego has emerged as a heavyweight hub for West Coast IPAs and sunshine-drinking Mexican lagers, but look past the hops and sunshine and you’ll find brewmasters pushing boundaries with weird, wonderful experimental beers.
Modern Times Beer built its reputation on flawless executions of classic styles before pivoting to what they dub “weirdo” releases under the Vibes label. Here, Modern Times gives free rein to innovation and imagination. Recent Vibes hits play with new ingredients like Vibes #5: Horchata Stout - a lush imperial stout conditioned on house-made horchata featuring cinnamon, vanilla and lactose. Or Vibes #8: Berry Me in Hibiscus, which takes a gose base before fermenting with boysenberry and hibiscus. Each Vibes beer promises a flavor experience you can’t find anywhere else.
Just north in Vista, Belching Beaver Brewery similarly infuses flagship offerings like here Oatmeal Stout with odd ingredients, yielding gems like the Peanut Butter Milk Stout. It walks the line between dessert and beer while showing how familiar styles can become fantastically weird. Belching Beaver also crafts small-batch beers for its Tasting Room Vault Series - a playground for pegging the weirdometer. Pineapple AM Macaroon Ale, anyone?
Societe Brewing up in Clairemont Mesa prefers to channel its weirdness through new brewing and fermentation techniques. As a result, Societe IPAs like The Pupil deftly straddle the line between hazy and West Coast styles. Or try The Harlot, their Belgian-style ale fermented with a California Common yeast strain rather than traditional Belgian yeast. Societe also brews terroir driven releases like The Growler, an IPA made entirely with fresh-picked flowers and cones from local San Diego hop fields. Experimental process yields adventurous flavors here.
Wild Barrel Brewing pushes boundaries by embracing wild yeast and sour styles rarely seen in San Diego. Located in San Marcos, Wild Barrel focuses on barrel-aged sours including standouts like Sparkling Rose, an effervescent sour ale aged with Syrah grape must and Pixie Dust, a sour blonde ale aged in Chardonnay barrels with a burst of passionfruit. While other San Diego brewers stick to what sells, the Wild Barrel team fearlessly goes its own way.
No brewer captures San Diego eccentricity quite like Mike Hess Brewing, with a range encompassing chili-infused Grapefruit Solis IPA, Italian pilsner Habitus and the starkly named .394 Pale Ale fermented entirely with wild yeast harvested from local San Diego air. The personality of the Hess team comes through in playful beers that flaunt flavor and fun.