Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is such a great beer that it’s easy to always order it at the bar or buy some when you’re out running errands. Are there any beers like it, though? What other beers should you try if you like Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale?
There are plenty of beers similar to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. From the bold Dale’s Pale Ale to the balanced Maine Peeper, there are many great variations that will appeal to the Pale Ale drinker. Even other beer styles hold similar hoppy qualities to the pale ale, including hazy pale ales, golden ales, and pilsners.
Continue reading to find more beers and beer styles to try if you like Sierra Nevada Pale ale, as well as tasting notes and other interesting information on Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
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What type of beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale?
What style of beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale? If the name didn’t give it away, let’s clear things up.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a pale ale beer. These beers have heavy hop flavors and aromas and are balanced out by the malts used. General descriptions for pale ales include florally, piney, citrusy, and resinous. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has a 5.6% ABV.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was created after prohibition when founder Ken Grossman used a new hop variety – Cascade – to brew something more adventurous. Thus, the Pale Ale was born.
Originally a British style, this beer is considered to have had a significant influence on the craft beer movement and is one of the best-selling pale ales in the country today.
Flavor profile and tasting notes
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a modern take on the classic pale ale style. It’s brewed with Cascade hops and has a complex combination of flavors and aromas.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale pours a golden amber with a foamy white head that leaves heavy lacing. There are potent notes of citrus and spice on the nose that translate into a pleasant pine and pepper taste. The crystal malt provides a dose of sweetness. Pale Ale has a medium-bodied mouthfeel that finishes smoothly.
Other pale ales similar to Sierra Nevada’s pale ale
If you like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, you will likely enjoy a myriad of other pale ale beers.
Here are the best pale ales to try if you like Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale:
- Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
- Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue
- Maine Peeper
- Great Lakes Burning River
- Deschutes Mirror Pond
- Cigar City Guayabera
- 3 Floyds Alpha King
Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
Dale’s Pale Ale is on the hoppy side of pale ales.
With bold citrus and floral notes against a malty backbone, this beer is great if you’re looking for something with a bit more punch than Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but not as much as an American IPA. This beer has a 6.5% ABV with 65 IBUs.
You can find Dale’s Pale Ale pretty much anywhere that sells craft beer, including bars and restaurants.
Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue
The Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue is a single-hop pale ale that is brewed using Citra hops.
It emits notes of citrus, grapefruit, and pine with a subtle malt sweetness. It has a hazy and delicate body with a 5.8% ABV. Bursting with citrus aroma, this beer is highly approachable.
You can find this year-round at many craft beer stores and occasionally at bars and restaurants. Brewed in Iowa, you will find this beer with ease across the Midwest.
Maine Peeper
Maine Peeper is a delightfully balanced pale ale that anyone can drink, especially Sierra Nevada Pale Ale connoisseurs.
Its crisp and fresh Amarillo, Cascade, and Centennial hop aroma blend with American 2-row malt. At 5.5% ABV, Peeper’s fruity notes of peach and lemon are approachable and drinkable.
Peeper is available on tap and in bottles at Maine Beer’s tasting room and can be found across 32 states (and the District of Columbia) where craft beer is stocked.
Great Lakes Burning River
Great Lakes Burning River is a 6% ABV pale ale with bright notes of citrus and pine. It uses Cascade and Centennial hops paired with 2-row, Crystal, and Caramel malt for a sweet malt-hop blend.
You will find this beer and other Great Lakes products in craft beer stores, as well as bars and restaurants, across the Midwestern and Northeastern US.
Deschutes Mirror Pond
Another Cascade-hopped pale ale, the Deschutes Mirror Pond sits at 5% ABV with 40 IBUs.
This crushable pale ale is often said to be even more refreshing than Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. If you like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, you’ll like this sweet malt backbone-having, easy-drinking pale ale.
Deschutes Brewery currently distributes across the country – you can find Mirror Pond in cans or bottles at a lot of places where craft beer is sold, as well as on draft at bars and restaurants.
Cigar City Guayabera
Tampa, Florida was built on the cigar industry, and that history lends its name to the Guayabera brewery.
Boasting flavors and aromas of tangerine, lime, and berries, this bright and refreshing Citra hop pale ale is a delicious American pale ale. Guayabera has a 5.5% ABV and finishes crisp and dry.
You can find Guayabera and other Cigar City beers across the US in most craft beer outlets and in bars and restaurants from time to time.
3 Floyds Alpha King
Alpha King is another bold pale ale.
If you’re looking for more bite but still want a balanced pale ale that contains fresh, punchy hop flavors and a slight maltiness, this is the one. At 6.7% ABV, Alpha King is a high ABV pale ale that packs a hoppy kick.
3 Floyds distributes its beer in 19 states, mainly across the Northeast. If you’re lucky, you’ll find it on tap at a bar or restaurant, and you might have to look diligently among craft beer stores to find a 6- or 4-pack of cans or bottles.
Other beer styles you might like if you love Pale Ales
If you indulge in pale ales, chances are you’ll like a lot of other beer styles, especially the lighter ones.
Here are some beer styles you might like if you drink Pale Ales:
- Hazy Pale Ale
- India Pale Ale
- Session IPA
- Golden or Blonde Ale
- Pilsners
- Kolsches
Hazy Pale Ale
The hazy pale ale has a similar flavor profile to a regular pale ale.
This style uses more citrus-heavy hops and has a thick, full mouthfeel.
Like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, they have a lighter taste that is refreshing and easy to drink.
India Pale Ale
The IPA is a hoppier version of the pale ale beer style.
Although some IPAs can be deterring, there are some beers in this style that are similar in flavor profile to Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale.
Find one at a lower ABV, close to Sierra Nevada’s 5.6, and you’re good to go.
Session IPA
Crisp and crushable, Session IPAs are a light and refreshing take on the more bold IPA style.
Somewhere between a pale ale and an IPA, session IPAs – like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – retain a bright hoppy taste that isn’t overwhelming.
Golden or Blonde Ale
These beers have the bright citrus and floral notes of a pale ale, but with less hops.
If you’re looking for something that has more of a malty sweetness with less of a hop bite, golden ales are the direction you’ll want to go in.
Pilsners
The pilsner is a classic style of beer from Pilsen, Czech Republic.
These beers have a hop bitterness that is less citrusy and earthy than the American hops used in pale ales. Pilsners have a clean and crisp taste with a spicy hop bite that can be compared to the peppery, spicy notes of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Kolsches
Somewhat of a cross between lagers and ales, the kolsch is light and incredibly drinkable with aromas of fruit and berries.
This style contains a minimal hop or malt profile and is even more drinkable than a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
