9 Best IPAs Of 2026 So Far

IPA (India Pale Ale) is a hop-forward style of beer that has boomed in popularity in the U.S., beginning with the microbrewery movement of the 1990s. IPA originated as a British ale sent to soldiers in India during 18th-century colonialism, loaded with hops and alcohol to prevent spoilage on the trip over. It has since evolved into a celebrated, bold, full-bodied beer with boundless variations and flavors, as well as edgy names and outrageously creative package designs. While there are many to choose from, we've narrowed down nine of the best IPAs of 2026 so far that fans of hoppy beer won't want to miss out on. 

There are a few things every beer drinker should know about IPAs. As far as taste goes, IPAs have an intensely herbal, fruity flavor and a crisp, bitter finish from their high hop content. Hops are cone-shaped flowers of the plant Humulus lupulus and are added to beer to balance the sweetness of malted grains. Hops impart citrusy, herbal, or earthy flavor and aroma (depending on the plant variety) and keep the brew fresh and foamy. 

This beer has several subcategories: English IPA, New England IPA (also known as Hazy or Juicy IPA), American (or West Coast) IPA, Double (or Imperial) IPA, New Zealand-style IPA, and Session IPA. Each variety has its own characteristics, hop profile, alcohol content, and bitterness level. Besides our top IPAs of 2026, newcomers may want to check out the best IPAs for beginners. 

Pacific Northwest favorite Breakside Brewery was founded in 2010 and has become a nationally recognized powerhouse in the craft beer world. Its flagship Breakside IPA continues to impress customers and win accolades, like a gold medal at the 2026 Great American Beer Festival. 

This 6.8% ABV American IPA has intense citrus and tropical fruit flavor, with a touch of pine and subtle caramel notes that let the Citra and Chinook hops shine. 

Fort Collins, Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing rolled out the Voodoo Ranger IPA series in 2017. The line is widely popular for its high ABV and affordable, approachable beers that lean more fruity than aggressively bitter. 

Voodoo Ranger Juice Force Hazy Imperial IPA is highly rated in 2026, with one Total Wine customer stating, "I've been searching for a citrus-forward, low-bitterness Hazy that won't break the bank and I think I found it right here. At 9.5%, it makes a perfect sipper without the 'alcohol burn' often found in high-ABV beers."

In 2026, Project Alpha 81  beat out 292 entries to win gold at the World Beer Cup in the West Coast IPA category. It's crafted by Cannonball Creek Brewing Company at a small brewpub in Golden, Colorado. The brand consistently produces award-winning beer, yet as of this writing, it isn't available in stores. 

You'll have to visit the taproom to try Project Alpha 81 — if it's on tap. When Cannonball Creek announced on Instagram that it was tapping the beer earlier this year, one commenter replied, "I know where I will be in less than 24 hours!"

Hundreds of beer drinkers have praised Founders All Day IPA on Total Wine's website as a perfect lower-strength Session IPA. Reviewers describe it as a "go-to beer for easy drinking" and "Hoppy but not heavy." Founders All Day is citrusy, crisp, and refreshing, with 4.7% ABV. This is considered low for IPAs overall, but is within the standard 3% to 5% range for a Session IPA. 

Spinal Sap is an Imperial, or Double West Coast IPA, a stronger, more hop-forward style. The 8% ABV beer, produced by Moonraker Brewing Company in Auburn, California, was Grand Champion of the 2026 Oregon Brewers Guild's "Best of the West" West Coast IPA competition (the brewery also won runner-up for its flagship IPA, Outrigger). Find Spinal Sap and other craft brews at Moonraker's Auburn pub and taproom, which opened in 2016, or at the Moonraker Millhouse in Cameron Park, California.

Two-Hearted IPA (formerly Two-Hearted Ale) is a classic, well-balanced American IPA that has been around since 1997. Bell's brews the 7% ABV beer with 100% Centennial hops, which have a strong citrus profile backed by notes of pine and wildflowers. Two-Hearted ranks as one of the most well-liked IPAs in the U.S. Its malt sweetness balances the hops' intense bitterness, resulting in a finished product that's both enjoyable and accessible. Bell's Brewery in Southwest Michigan is one of the largest craft brewers in the U.S., and Two-Hearted IPA is sold by retailers all over the country.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is a leading independent brewery widely recognized as a driving force of the American craft beer industry. In addition to its year-round IPAs (including its popular Juicy IPA, Hazy Little Thing), the California-based brand produces seasonal beers, like the Northern Hemisphere Wet Hop IPA packed with notes of citrus, rose, and pine. 

The 6.7% ABV harvest IPA is made with Centennial hops picked in the fall and undried (hence the name). It's well-received on the Sierra Nevada website, where one reviewer wrote, "I love the hop-forward taste of the Northern hemisphere. My problem is I only purchased two packs!"

For a beer you'll feel in your bones (so to speak), check out Boneyard's Notorious IPA, a bold, Triple IPA with a whopping 11.8% ABV. This potent beer holds a world-class, unblemished score of 100 on Beer Advocate,  where it was rated over 900 times. Notorious is unabashed in its hoppiness, and geared toward experienced IPA drinkers seeking the distinctly heightened bitterness only Triple IPAs can deliver. Boneyard Beer brews its extra-hoppy IPAs at its brewery in Bend, Oregon, and distributes its beer mostly in the Pacific Northwest. 

Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA is a top-rated 7% ABV West Coast IPA brewed with Centennial, Chinook, and Simcoe hops that deliver pine, citrus, grapefruit, passionfruit, and berry aromas. This bold and flavorful California brew has 4.7 stars on Total Wine, with reviewers describing it as full-bodied, hoppy but not overly bitter, and balanced. One happy customer writes, "This is my beer! This is the IPA I gauge every IPA against. None have taken its place ... I love sipping it from a tulip glass to enjoy the aroma of the Cascade hops [and] taste the caramel malts."