Skip to content
The craft beer revolution has drastically reduced the traditional macrobrewery dominance of the national palette, and Indian lager is perhaps the most popular category to find traction in its wake.
A wide range of flavor and variety profiles – not to mention a generally higher alcohol content – makes what constitutes an IPA a much more diverse profile than the average lager, which tends to be thinner, less hoppy and, in some cases, more wheaten.
A full breakdown of what precisely makes an IPA an IPA is as complex as the process of creating it. Some brands position themselves according to the “type” of IPA they are: session, double IPA, dry hopping, double dry hopping, etc. ; others focus on the region or state in which they are created, which explains East and West Coast varietals as well as Belgian and British IPAs.
Indian pale ale actually has its origins in the British Isles. During the British colonial era, the intense heat and humidity of India at the time made it impossible to brew a beer that would last, especially one that could withstand the months-long sea voyage from India to Britain, but that didn’t mean British sailors hadn’t. ‘t need a drink yet. So, as hops are a preservative, a heavily hopped beer was devised, and now centuries later there is a wide range of hoppy, deeply profiled, sometimes fruity beers that have a loyal following.
In 2020, the overall IPA category accounted for 19% of all beer sales, according to Drizly, putting it ahead of all other types of beer and just behind hard seltzer. Paige Guzman, chief marketing officer of California-based brewer Lagunitas, told Craft Brewing Business, “What started as a staple in the craft beer category has now become its own subset on the shelf.” The pandemic-related shutdowns have only further fueled the success of the IPA market, and every state in the country has both its favorites and its key brewers and producers.
Stacker compiled a list of California’s best IPAs using data from BeerAdvocate. A maximum of 5 IPAs per brewery were included. So if you want to know if your favorite is on the list, or if you’re looking for a new local beer to add to your IPA arsenal, this list has you covered.
You May Also Like: California’s Top-Rated Beer
#21. DOJO
– Rating: 4.43 (83 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 8.40%
– Brewery: Moonraker Brewing Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#20. Pliny the Elder Double Dry Hopped
– Rating: 4.41 (135 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.00%
– Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#19. sculpin
– Rating: 4.38 (14,623 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 7.00%
– Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#18. The pupil
– Rating: 4.39 (1,001 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 7.50%
– Brewery: Brewing Co.
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#17. Yojo
– Rating: 4.44 (118 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 7.00%
– Brewery: Moonraker Brewing Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
You May Also Like: California’s Top NFL Draft Picks
#16. Enjoy the IPA
– Rating: 4.41 (11,200 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 9.40%
– Brewery: Stone Brewing
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#15. Exponential hopping
– Rating: 4.42 (1,349 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 11.00%
– Brewery: Alpine Beer Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#14. Double Dobis
– Rating: 4.45 (172 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.50%
– Brewery: Cellarmaker Brewing Co.
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#13. Citra Showers
– Rating: 4.43 (580 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.80%
– Brewery: Noble Ale Works
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#12. Bomb atomically
– Rating: 4.48 (95 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 8.30%
– Brewery: Monkish Brewing Co.
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
You May Also Like: What California’s Immigrant Population Looked Like in 1900
#11. Winter Beer (5th Anniversary Beer)
– Rating: 4.44 (379 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.00%
– Brewery: Kern River Brewing Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#ten. Nelson
– Rating: 4.43 (4,345 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 7.00%
– Brewery: Alpine Beer Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#9. Big, big, big
– Rating: 4.56 (47 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– VOL: 10.10%
– Brewery: Monkish Brewing Co.
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#8. foggy window
– Rating: 4.5 (289 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– VOL: 8.10%
– Brewery: Monkish Brewing Co.
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#seven. Bad boy
– Rating: 4.49 (625 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 9.00%
– Brewery: Alpine Beer Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
You May Also Like: Best Places to Live in California
#6. foggier window
– Rating: 4.52 (307 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– VOL: 8.10%
– Brewery: Monkish Brewing Co.
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#5. Ghost of Adios
– Rating: 4.66 (48 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– VOL: 10.20%
– Brewery: Monkish Brewing Co.
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#4. Idea Keene
– Rating: 4.56 (538 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.88%
– Brewery: Alpine Beer Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#3. Citra
– Rating: 4.56 (1,882 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.00%
– Brewery: Kern River Brewing Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#2. Pliny the Elder
– Rating: 4.64 (15,585 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.00%
– Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate
You might also like: Most popular female names in the 80s in California
#1. Pliny the Younger
– Rating: 4.69 (3,512 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– VOL: 10.25%
– Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
– Learn more about BeerAdvocate