One Of The Best IPAs In 2026 Comes From An American Brand

Some India Pale Ales are considered American classics for a reason. When Mashed put together a list of the best IPAs in 2026 so far, one that made the list was Union Jack by California-based brewery Firestone Walker Brewing Co. While Belgium-based Duvel Moortgat acquired a majority stake in the company in 2015, Firestone Walker continues to be proudly American-founded and operated. It's also got a significant place in the history of American beer itself.

Firestone Walker was founded by Adam Firestone and David Walker back in 1996. At around the same time, the long-running American craft beer revolution led to an explosion of craft and microbreweries. In 2008, the brewery launched its first-ever commercially available IPA, Union Jack, which is considered by some to be a defining beer in the evolution of the modern West Coast IPA style.

The West Coast IPA was a pioneering style of the craft beer revolution's earlier days in the 1970s and 1980s, characterized by aggressive hoppiness, leading to punchy citrus, pine, and floral flavors along with a high level of bitterness. The style continued to evolve over the years, dropping the malt flavors of more traditional American IPAs in favor of highlighting even more of the hops. The bitterness of the style has also become a lot less harsh as brewers worked to pursue a smoother experience. At the time it was launched, Union Jack's hop-forward flavor profile and relatively easy drinkability were representative of the next generation of West Coast IPAs, making it an icon in American craft brewing history.

While Firestone Walker's Union Jack IPA has been around for nearly 20 years as of this writing, the beer clearly hasn't lost a step. It was named Best American Beer at the 2025 Brussels Beer Challenge and was one of only six American beers to receive a gold medal at the competition. It's not just the experts loving it, either — throughout numerous online communities, Union Jack IPA continues to get rave reviews well into 2026.

An Instagram user recently called it a "textbook West Coast IPA," enjoying the notes of grapefruit, orange, pine, and resin in its flavor profile as well as the style's signature bitterness. On Reddit, a user highlighted the strength of its hop flavors as well as its crisp finish, calling it an impressive beer altogether. One reviewer on Beer Advocate placed it on their Mount Rushmore of West Coast IPAs, while another appreciated its classic balance between tropical hops and underlying malt sweetness.

This decadeslong consistency with Union Jack is one of the reasons Firestone Walker is considered one of the best breweries on the West Coast. If you're interested in giving this American icon a try, you can buy a six-pack of bottles at Total Wine for just about $12. A six-pack of cans costs a dollar more, but that tiny price difference is worth it if you're the type of drinker who can tell when canned beer tastes better than bottled.