While it’s one of the most popular beer styles in America, there’s no more complicated beer than the iconic IPA. No style has more of a love/hate relationship with drinkers. It’s an all-or-nothing thing with IPAs. Either you enjoy them for their hoppy, piney, dank, floral, sometimes slightly bitter (oftentimes really bitter) flavor profile or you find them unpalatable and completely avoid them in favor of lagers, pilsners, stouts, and other beer styles.
The IPA, which got its genesis in the late 1700s, is one of the oldest beer styles. Like many well-known styles, it has its roots in England. It all started when brewers added extra hops to the beer casks that would make the voyage to India (hence the name India Pale Ale) and other countries. This was done in an effort to preserve the beer during the month’s long trip.
While helping to make the beers palatable upon reaching their destination, they were left with a spicier, more floral, piney, hoppy beer. Various versions of the style are still enjoyed to this day. This includes the popular West Coast IPA, imperial IPA, session IPA, New England-style IPA, milkshake IPA, and the cold weather-friendly winter IPA.
If you’re a drinker who does enjoy imbibing this hoppy, bitter beer style, drinking a winter IPA is the perfect way to enjoy this usually summery beer in the dead of winter. Regardless of what winter looks like for you, there’s a good chance this bolder, maltier, with oftentimes added seasonal flavors and ingredients will help make the dark days of winter at least a little bit better.
If you’re looking for a change of pace from barrel-aged stouts, coffee-filled porters, brown ales, and strong ales, these twelve winter IPAs are a perfect winter respite. Keep reading to see all of our hoppy, floral, dank picks.
New Belgium Accumulation Winter Hazy IPA
This 6.5 percent IPA got its name because its hazy, cloudy appearance resembles a wintry snowstorm. This squall of flavor is brewed with pale malt, wheat, and ale yeast. It gets its juicy, tropical fruit, citrus zest, and mouth-watering flavor from the addition of Strata, Mosaic, Lotus, and El Dorado hops. There’s a reason it’s one of the most anticipated winter IPAs each and every year.
Full Sail Wreck The Halls Double IPA
Christmas might be over, but it’s not too late to wreck your palate with this 8.5 percent seasonal double IPA. This award-winning beer is bolder and maltier than your average IPA and gets its bright, floral, pine tree flavor from the addition of Centennial hops. Like the holidays, its availability is coming to an end so the time to stock up for the long winter is now.
Bell’s Hopslam Ale
This beer isn’t labeled as a “winter IPA” but it’s only available during the winter months so it definitely fits the criteria. This eagerly awaited 10 percent double IPA features six different kinds of hops and is dry-hopped with Simcoe hops. The result is memorable seasonal beer loaded with notes of sweet honey (that’s added in the brewing process), tangerine, grapefruit, tropical fruit flavors, and slightly bitter, floral hops at the very end. The high alcohol content will warm you up while you await the eventual spring thaw.
Hopworks Abominable Winter Ale
This aptly named 7.3 percent seasonal beer is listed as a winter ale, but the addition of Simcoe, Cascade, Chinook, and Centennial hops proves that it’s a winter IPA through and through. This results in a slightly spicy, flavorful IPA with notes of navel oranges, pineapple, grapefruit, bready malts, caramel, and just a hint of hop-fueled bitterness at the finish.
Peak Organic Winter IPA
On top of being an exceptional example of the winter IPA style, you can imbibe this beer knowing that it’s completely organic. This 6.2 percent hazy, winter IPA is brewed with Azacca, Calypso, Simcoe, and Citra hops. This creates a beer that’s highlighted by flavors like mango, peach, pear, pineapple, and has gentle, slightly bitter dank pine during the last gulp.
Half Acre Tend Winter IPA
Released in October, this 6.8 percent winter IPA is brewed with a handful of specialty malts as well as Mosaic and Simcoe hops. This results in a highly memorable beer with notes of a dank, seemingly never-ending pine forest, ripe tangerines, pineapple, and grapefruit. The finish is sweet, loaded with citrus, and has just a hint of hop bitterness to tie everything together nicely.
Troegs Blizzard of Hops Winter IPA
This highly complex, eagerly-awaited 6.4 percent winter IPA is brewed with Pilsner malt as well as unmalted wheat, white wheat, and ale yeast. It gets its hop presence from the addition of El Dorado, Chinook, and Centennial hops. It’s well-known for its flavors of dried orange peel, grapefruit zest, and gentle pine. If you like this beer, step up to the brand’s even more potent Double Blizzard of Hops.
Brooklyn Winter IPA
One of the most highly-regard craft breweries in the US, Brooklyn has myriad award-winning beers. Its take on the winter IPA is a seven percent red IPA brewed with Simcoe and Trident hops. It has a winter-friendly flavor profile of tangerines, slight winter spices, spruce tips, and just a hint of peppery rye. It’s warming, hoppy, and well-suited for winter drinking.
Bale Breaker High Camp Winter IPA
This 7.3 percent seasonal beer gets its name from the ski lodge at nearby White Pass Ski Resort. It’s brewed with chocolate and rye malts as well as Mosaic, Simcoe, and HNC 630 hops. This results in a beer with notes of caramel malts, dank pine, wintry spices, lemon peel, and tangerines. It’s well-balanced between malts and hops and not to be missed.
Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop IPA
There are no winter IPAs as well-known and as eagerly-awaited as Sierra Nevada’s Celebration. This 6.8 percent winter IPA gets its flavor from the addition of Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops. This winter favorite carries floral, citrus, and bold pine needle flavors that will help you forget about the dismal weather outside.
Five Boroughs Winter IPA
This popular 6.8 percent winter IPA is brewed with 2-row, Carared, and Carafa II malts as well as flaked oats and Citra, Cascade, Comet, and Simcoe hops. This well-balanced, complex brew is loaded with flavors like ripe peach, pineapple, grapefruit, mango, and fresh pine needles.
Upslope Spruce Tip IPA
This is the winter IPA for drinkers who really appreciate the flavor of pine. That’s because, on top of being brewed with American malts and Cascade and Simcoe hops, it’s flavored with hand-picked Colorado spruce tips. This creates a seasonal beer with notes of orange zest, grapefruit, caramel malts, dank hops, and bold, resinous pine.
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