Winter IPAs are a beer style for drinkers who either flat out refuse to move on to darker beers in the winter or simply want a change of pace during these darker, frigid months. While there’s no clear-cut definition of what the term “winter IPA” means, you can bet they’ll have at least a slightly higher ABV than some of their summery counterparts (we’re talking 6-8%), more caramel malts, and some even add wintry flavors (like spruce tips) on occasion.
If you’re the type of drinker who would rather enjoy a hazy, juicy, wintry New England-style IPA or a citrus-driven winter IPA than a stout or porter, you’re in luck. Since there’s no standard for what a winter IPA needs to be, brewers are able to experiment with flavors and IPA styles. This means there’s a winter IPA for every IPA fan to find.
We picked eight of our favorite winter IPAs and ranked them on overall flavor and how well they pair with the freezing winter winds. Keep scrolling to see how they all stacked up.
8) Peak Winter IPA
ABV: 6.2%%
Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack
The Beer:
The folks at Peak didn’t want to give up the citrus juice and haze just because it was winter. They crafted this organic IPA with Azacca, Calypso, Citra, and Simcoe hops. This creates a hazy, juicy, wintry New England-style IPA perfect for the months ahead.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is all tangerine, grapefruit, lemongrass, and pine needles. The palate is more grapefruit and some bready malts, but not much else. The finish is slightly bitter with dank pine. Overall, it’s a fairly one-dimensional beer.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t a bad beer, it’s just a bit of a one-trick pony with grapefruit taking center stage and not much else. It’s just not overly exciting.
7) Brooklyn Winter IPA
ABV: 7%
Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack
The Beer:
This bold, 7% ABV red IPA gets its flavor from the use of Trident and Simcoe hops as well as the addition of rye. This creates a slightly spicy, fruit, citrus-filled IPA you’ll want to drink from now until the spring thaw.
Tasting Notes:
Caramel malts, grapefruit, lemon zest, orange peel, and resinous, dank pine are prevalent on the nose. The palate continues this trend with tangerine, grapefruit, caramelized pineapple, and pine, with just a hint of rye at the end. Not the best winter IPA, but not the worst.
Bottom Line:
The rye spice adds a nice warming element to this beer. It’s just that overall, it’s not the most flavorful winter IPA on the market by a long shot.
6) New Belgium Accumulation
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $4.99 for a 12-ounce bottle
The Beer:
According to New Belgium, its Mosaic, Lotus, Stratus, and El Dorado hop-filled Accumulation IPA isn’t just a seasonal release that drops at the end of December each year, it’s also a “Skisanal” release perfect to enjoy after a day spent on the slopes.
Tasting Notes:
A nose of ripe pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit, lemongrass, and herbal, floral hops greet you before your first sip. This is followed by a palate of brown bread, caramel malts, lemon zest, grapefruit, wheat, and a light, spicy, slightly piney finish.
Bottom Line:
Accumulation is a reasonably flavorful, balanced winter IPA. It’s just not all that memorable. It feels like it’s missing something.
5) Five Boroughs Winter IPA
ABV: 6.8%
Average Price: $15 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Brewed with 2-row, Carared, and Carafa malts, this wintry IPA gets its citrus and tropical fruit flavor from the addition of Simcoe, Comet, Citra, and Cascade hops. Flaked oats give it a creamy, smooth mouthfeel.
Tasting Notes:
The nose begins with caramel malts, candied orange peels, lemons, grapefruit, pineapple, and peach. The palate is creamy, velvety, juicy, and loaded with melon rind, grapefruit, pineapple, caramel malts, and lightly bitter, floral hops at the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is labeled as a winter beer and its creamy mouthfeel works well for the season, but we’d drink this juicy, citrus, and tropical fruity-filled beer any time of year.
4) Sierra Nevada Celebration
ABV: 6.8%
Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack
The Beer:
There aren’t many winter IPAs more well-known than Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. Available from October through December, this well-balanced winter IPA features 2-row pale and caramelized malts as well as Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops.
Tasting Notes:
This is a really hoppy beer right from the start. The nose is filled with an endless pine forest as well as wildflowers, orange peel, lemon, and some light caramel malts to hold it all together. The palate continues this with tangerine, grapefruit, caramel, and resinous, dank, floral pine. The finish has just the right amount of bitter bite.
Bottom Line:
This is an exceptional winter IPA. It’s a hop-lovers (especially fans of the big “C” hops) dream. It’s all pine and citrus and holds back on nothing.
3) Upslope Spruce Tip IPA
ABV: 7.5%
Average Price: $12.99 for a six-pack
The Beer:
This popular seasonal IPA is brewed with a selection of malts and Cascade and Simcoe hops. That would be all well and good for a flavorful winter IPA, but this beer gets an added jolt in the flavor department from the addition of hand-picked Colorado spruce tips.
Tasting Notes:
Grapefruit pulp, caramel malts, wet grass, pine, and spruce are big on the nose. The palate follows suit with a ton of spruce right off the bat. Luckily, instead of drowning out the dank, floral, piney hops and grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, and bready malts, it only enhances them.
Bottom Line:
This is a beer for the pine lovers of the IPA world. If that’s your jam, you’ll absolutely love this sip of wintry heaven.
2) Half Acre Tend
ABV: 6.8%
Average Price: $11.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
This 6.8% ABV winter IPA was crafted to be a bigger, bolder, more flavorful beer for the winter months. The folks at Half Acre did this by propping up the orange peel, pine needle, and ripe berry flavor of Mosaic and Simcoe hops with rich, warming specialty malts.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of brown bread, ripe berries, dried fruits, caramel, orange zest, and fresh pine are highlighted on the nose. Drinking it reveals notes of candied orange peels, bready malts, more berries, and resinous, dank pine. The finish is a mix of citrus sweetness and bitter hops.
Bottom Line:
There are few IPAs more balanced and well-suited for winter drinking than Half Acre Tend. It’s bold, higher in ABV, and has just the right amount of hop aroma and flavor for the winter months.
1) Tröegs Blizzard of Hops
ABV: 6.4%
Average Price: $11.99 for a six-pack
The Beer:
This might be the most aptly-named winter IPA on the market. This 6.4% ABV winter IPA is only available from November through January. It’s brewed with white wheat, unmalted wheat, and Pilsner malts as well as ale yeast and Centennial, Chinook, El Dorado, and Galaxy hops.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is loaded with caramelized pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit, honey, bready malts, and resinous pine needles. The palate is orange peel, lemon zest, more honey, caramel malts, and a heavy dose of dank pine needles. The finish is pleasantly bitter and leaves you craving more.
Bottom Line:
This beer is the beer equivalent of a blizzard of hops. It’s an explosion of wintry hop aroma and flavor. The kind of beer you’ll look forward to every winter.