The best NEIPAs are juicy, hazy, and bursting with tropical flavors and aromas. What are the best hazy IPA beers to try in 2022? What makes a NEIPA a good beer for the style?
NEIPAs are citrusy and hazy with a creamy mouthfeel and low bitterness. Most of the best NEIPAs in 2023 are produced by craft breweries and may only be locally available – Neshaminy Creek’s UltraCush, Trillium’s Scaled, for example. Popular examples of the style include Offshoot Beer Co’s Visions, Rogue’s Batsquatch, and Two Roads’ Two Juicy.
Keep reading for the primary characteristics of the New England India Pale Ale and more details on the best hazy IPAs to try in 2023.
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What is a NEIPA (New England India Pale Ale)?
New England Pales Ales – also known as NEIPAs, Juicy Ales, or Hazy Ales – are a more delicate style of beer than the Pale Ales and even IPAs from which they’re adapted.
The NEIPA is characterized by its fragile aroma, delicate tropical flavors, smooth and creamy mouthfeel, low bitterness, and hazy appearance. It is very hop-forward with a light maltiness. It also has a slightly higher ABV than a traditional IPA at 6-9%.
This American IPA is still evolving and, as such, there is likely to be a wide range of brews that fall into this sub-style. Keep reading to learn more about current NEIPAs and some recommendations for the best ones available.
Recent history of the NEIPA
The NEIPA is a newer style. Originally, IPAs were meant to have little haze and were becoming increasingly hoppy or bitter.
John Kimmich is credited with having created the first New England IPA in the form of Heady Topper. He sought to bring more citrus and fruity tastes and, mostly, aroma to the IPA style that was causing a ruckus for a couple of decades or so prior. This led to the creation of a beer that pioneered the style to what we know it as today.
Breweries across the country have been adapting to this style since its more so modern conception.
The best NEIPA beers to try in 2023!
The moment we’ve all been waiting for. These are the best NEIPA beers to try in 2023. Some of these options can be found nationwide, and others are a tad more regional to the Northeastern U.S. where the style originates from.
These are the most recommended New England India Pale Ales:
- Neshaminy Creek UltraCush
- Trillium Scaled
- Offshoot Beer Co. Visions
- Other Half Brewing Oh… Dream
- BrewDog Hazy Jane
- Stone Fear.Movie.Lions
- Firestone Walker Mind Haze
- Rogue Batsquatch
- Two Roads Two Juicy
1. Neshaminy Creek UltraCush
- Brand: Neshaminy Creek Brewing
- From: Croydon, Pennsylvania
- ABV: 5.3%
- IBU: 17
- Featured Hops: Comet, Sultana, Mandarina Bavaria
- Taste: This session hazy dials back bitterness and ABV of other hazy IPAs and offers more drinkable tastes of tangerina, pineapple, lime, and peach.
- Where you can find it: Neshaminy Creek Brewery, Taproom, Beer Garden
2. Trillium Scaled
- Brand: Trillium Brewing Company
- From: Boston, Massachusetts
- ABV: 7%
- IBU: Not available
- Featured Hops: El Dorado, Citra, Columbus
- Taste: Pineapple and mango with a malt backbone and notes of orange and pick grapefruit. Finishes with a soft bitterness.
- Where you can find it: Northeastern United States; Trillium brewery
3. Offshoot Beer Co. Visions
- Brand: Offshoot Beer Co.
- From: Placenta, California
- ABV: 6.9%
- IBU: Not available
- Featured Hops: Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo, Centennial, Cashmere, El Dorado, and Simcoe
- Taste: Tropical and fruity hop notes with bright flavors and aromas of pineapple, mango and stone fruit, soft and balanced mouthfeel
- Where you can find it: Offshoot Beer Co. Brewery and Tasting Room
4. Other Half Brewing DDH Oh… Dream
- Brand: Other Half Brewing Co.
- From: Brooklyn, New York
- ABV: 6.2%
- IBU: Not available
- Featured Hops: Citra, Galaxy, Motueka
- Taste: Mildly sweet with notes of cantaloupe and custard. A bit of a bread taste. Silky smooth mouthfeel.
- Where you can find it: any of Other Half’s five locations; Northeastern U.S.
5. BrewDog Hazy Jane
- Brand: BrewDog
- From: Columbus, Ohio
- ABV: 7.2%
- IBU: 30
- Featured Hops: Cascade, Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe
- Taste: Brewed with flaked oats, pale and wheat malt, this beer offers notes of citrus and guava with a mild bitterness and more punchy finish than other NEIPAs on this list.
- Where you can find it: Columbus, OH; various states across the U.S.
6. Stone Fear.Movie.Lions
- Brand: Stone Brewing
- From: Escondido, California
- ABV: 8.5%
- IBU: 60
- Featured Hops: Loral and Mosaic
- Taste: Like a blast of fruit juice. Blueberry, strawberry, grape, white sage. This beer smells like a hop fruit bowl with notes of pineapple.
- Where you can find it: Most places that sell alcohol in cans; bars and restaurants
7. Firestone Walker Mind Haze
- Brand: Firestone Walker Brewing Company
- From: Paso Robles, California
- ABV: 6.2%
- IBU: 40
- Featured Hops: Dry hopped with Azacca, El Dorado, Mosaic, Chinook, Cashmere, Idaho 7, and Callista
- Taste: Juicy and creamy with fruity notes of citrus and very subtle notes of pine. Exceptionally pleasant mouthfeel and great color.
- Where you can find it: most states in the U.S.; on tap at bars and restaurants or in cans where beer is sold
8. Industrial Arts Wrench
- Brand: Industrial Arts Brewing Company
- From: Garnerville, New York
- ABV: 7.1%
- IBU: 28
- Featured Hops: Mosaic and Citra
- Taste: Hoppy and fruity with a dash of pale malt flavor. Super bright and aromatic with hints of tangerine and mango.
- Where you can find it: most places that sell commercial and smaller craft beers; in cans at distributors and liquor store; on tap at bars and restaurants
9. Rogue Batsquatch
- Brand: Rogue Ales
- From: Newport, Oregon
- ABV: 6.7%
- IBU: 54
- Featured Hops: Mosaic, El Dorado, Belma
- Taste: Massively tropical and citrusy. Very cloudy in appearance. A little on the drier side but very crisp and creamy mouthfeel.
- Where you can find it: across the United States in stores and on tap at restaurants and bars
10. Two Roads Two Juicy
- Brand: Two Roads
- From: Stratford, Connecticut
- ABV: 8.2%
- IBU: Not available
- Featured Hops: Hallertau Blanc, Citra, Mandarina Bavaria
- Taste: Notes of grapefruit and pine with subtle malt tastes and aroma. Citrusy flavor and thinner mouthfeel but hazy appearance.
- Where you can find it: across most Northeastern states and others; on tap at some Northeastern bars and restaurants
Psst…Want to brew your own NEIPA?