Have you had a chance to try the Best New England IPAs? Chances are you haven’t because most require lining up at the local brewery just to have the opportunity to buy them.
For most craft beer drinkers, they aren’t interested in spending half of a day trying to buy beer when they can walk into any grocery store to buy craft beer.
So when the large craft breweries started making New England IPAs, many got excited at the idea of being able to get this style without the extra effort.
So here’s a rundown of the Best New England IPAs that can be find on almost any grocery store shelf. In fact, in most cases these are the ONLY ones you’ll be able to find.
I’ve tried each of these and am going to list them in the order of my preference.
Not An IPA Fan?
No worries, as you’ll discover in my article about the “Haze Craze“, these hazy, New England IPAs are known to have very low bitterness. Which is the primary reason people do not like IPAs. So if traditional IPAs haven’t been your favorite style, give a New England IPA a shot.
The Best New England IPAs You Can Find At Your Grocery Store
#1 BrewDog Hazy Jane
Based in Scotland, BrewDog has made a huge move into the American beer market. Their brand new brewery in Columbus, Ohio is their headquarters in the USA and they’ve already started cranking out their beer into many markets.
One of their initial offerings was Hazy Jane. Just as the name hints, this is a hazy IPA – aka New England IPA.
It boasts tropical flavors of pineapple and ripe mango in both the aroma and flavor. There are notes of lemon and a bold sweetness in this New England IPA.
The appearance is one of the best of this group and is nearly as hazy as the small batch beers made at your local breweries.
What makes this one #1 on the list is the ultra low bitterness paired with the sweet fruit flavors. The others on the list don’t quite reach the same level as Hazy Jane. This one ranks up with some of the best New England IPAs I’v had.
Hazy Jane isn’t as widely distributed as the others on this list but hopefully you live in an area that you can pick some up.
#2 Sam Adams New England IPA
Sam Adams is a special brewery for me as their Cherry Wheat is what won me over to craft beer. So I am quick to try just about anything they make.
It was an easy decision to grab their New England IPA when it came to my area. I also loved that they used 16oz cans in four packs which resembles how the small breweries sell their beers of this style.
Sam Adams New England IPA is citrus forward and I got ample amounts of orange and lemon. Other report a grapefruit or even tropical fruit flavor from it. There’s just a touch of sweetness that helps balance out the citrus notes of the other flavors.
It finishes with a soft hop bitterness that doesn’t take away from the easy nature of the beer. It is a beer that will disappear very fast from your glass.
All things considered, it is one of my favorite of the easily available New England IPAs and makes me appreciate Sam Adams in a new way. As a brewery that is often labeled as “old-fashioned”, they’ve done more than just kept up with the latest trend – they are part of it.
Related Article: Sam Adams Cincinnati Taproom
#3 Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing
For some, Sierra Nevada was the first craft brewery that they loved. But for me, I feel like I’ve just discovered them.
While I’ve had their beer quite a few times over the years, I’ve started to have a deeper appreciation for them recently. And Hazy Little Thing is one of the reasons for that new found love for them.
Yes, I know that they are listed as third but that doesn’t mean I hated the beer. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. After having this one, I quickly started recommending it.
I was equally impressed by the flavor and price point as I’ve been able to find it as low as $8 for a six pack. That’s a real value in the craft beer world.
Hazy Little Thing has a lot of orange and grapefruit flavors in it. This citrus forward beer is highly carbonated and provides lots of flavor.
There was a bit too much bitterness overall but it doesn’t linger. It passes quickly and seems natural. I’d love to see some of the bitterness exchanged for sweetness.
If you are looking for a great option for a citrus forward, budget friendly New England IPA; this one is for you.
#4 New Belgium VooDoo Ranger Juicy Haze
What do you say about the beer that came in last place?
Let’s start out by realizing that there aren’t a lot of beers in this category to compare. While there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of small breweries making New England IPAs, there are only a few large breweries distributing them.
So being last really isn’t a huge knock against this beer.
And there’s a lot of good to be said about it. There’s a nice rounded tropical aroma and the flavor of Juicy Haze is a nice grapefruit. It’s got great color as well.
On the downside, I picked up a uniquely “stinky” hop aroma which I believe to be the Simcoe hop that they used in this beer. It isn’t off putting to most IPA fans but some may not care for it.
In addition, it has a noticeable bitterness to it that most New England IPAs do not have. Still low in comparison to traditional IPAs but higher than I would like in this style.
For those that are fans of bitter IPAs, this is a great transition into the New England IPA style.
So yes, I listed it last but but don’t look past this one. It’s a great addition to the New Belgium VooDoo Ranger series and I know many that would have listed it first.
Learn More About Craft Beer: Craft Beer And Pizza Pairing Guide
Final Thoughts
The Best New England IPAs are still going to be found at the local brewery and require some extra effort to get them. These special release beers will often have strong fruit flavors, heavier body, and even more of a hazy appearance.
But don’t look past the best New England IPAs you can find at your local grocery store. They are considerably easier to get and affordable.
If you haven’t had a chance to try this style, then I highly recommend picking up one of these as an introduction to the style.
If you have been enjoying New England IPAs, I’d love to know how you compare the national brands to those made at local breweries.
10 thoughts on “The Best New England IPAs You Can Get At Your Grocery Store”
havent tried the Brew Dog yet, unfortunately, but i agree with the order of the other 3. i have all 3 in my fridge right now and i always reach for the Sam first. i espacially agree with the comment “It is a beer that will disappear very fast from your glass.” well put! i also like the Sierra price ($33 for a case in my area). as for the voodoo, ill pass,still dont understand why they brew it with coriander… coriander, WHY, coriander…. one last thing. idk if its national but i found Bronx Brewery Built for This in my local beer store and i suggest that if you can finf it GET IT!. i would probably put it at the top of my list.
The BrewDog is really good so I recommend it if you can find it. The price of Hazy Little Thing is really attractive!
And not sure about the coriander; there are some styles that it works well but probably not a NE IPA.
Thanks for the tip on the Bronx Brewery beer. I don’t think it’s in my area but I’ll be on the lookout for it; cheers!
I haven’t had the Brewdog yet, but as for the other three, I would put Sierra Nevada first. I buy that by the case. I agree that it’s more bitter than most NEIPAs, but it’s just so tasty, I can look past it. I would put Sam Adams second and the New Belgium a distant third. Not sure what’s going on with New Belgium lately, but quality seems to be lacking in their major releases lately.
I love most of what New Belgium makes. Their Trippel is great!
I think the Sierra Nevada was a little too hoppy for the style but definitely not too hoppy for me.
I’m glad there are so many great options, cheers!
I haven’t had the Brew Dog yet either. I have had the other three and I like Hazy Little Thing the best. I really like it. It’s just as good as some of the local stuff I’ve had. The other 2 are just ok.
Seems like Hazy Little Thing is a crowd favorite – I know many that prefer it over all of the others on this list. My tastings were all done separately; sounds like I need to do a side-by-side to truly compare them; cheers!
My Best bang for your buck New England IPA’s are from Fort Hill Brewery in western MA. Fresh Cut is awesome, my go to IPA for the last 2 years, Jigsaw Jazz is also very good. They don’t last long in the stores north of Boston. Much better than #2, 3 and 4 on your list, I haven’t tried Hazy Jane yet
If I ever get out to Western MA, I’ll have to give Fort Hill a try. In most cases, I find that the smaller breweries are executing this style better than the larger breweries. Recently, I also tried Abita Hop-On and found it to be really good as well. My favorite local NE IPAs come from Listermann and 450 North but those are often very difficult to get.