While there are different types of IPAs with different flavor profiles, the classic flavors include floral notes, citrus, tropical fruits, and dank, resinous pine. West Coast IPAs are known for their memorable, bitter (sometimes aggressively bitter) finish. While that’s all well and good, these classic flavors can be heightened by complementary flavors.
Plenty of fruits pair well with IPA darkness. But the best among them is grapefruit.
Since many IPAs already have a citrus element thanks to hops like Citra, Centennial, Cascade, and Amarillo, the addition of grapefruit cranks the flavor up to eleven. You can’t go wrong when your pine-bomb is front-loaded with tart, sour-meets-sweet grapefruit notes.
We picked eight of the best grapefruit IPAs on the market and ranked them for you based on overall flavor and how complementary the grapefruit is to the overall flavor. Keep scrolling to see if your favorite grapefruit IPA made the list.
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: $9 for a four-pack
The Beer:
This award-winning IPA is brewed with water, sorghum, brown rice, Candi syrup, tapioca maltodextrin, Cascade and Horizon hops (and dry-hopped with Altus hops), grapefruit puree, and yeast. The result is a juicy, sweet IPA with a ton of tart, refreshing grapefruit, and gently bitter hops.
Tasting Notes:
Up front, there’s a nice hint of malt sweetness on the nose. This is followed by bright grapefruit, lemon peel, and floral, gently spicy hops. There’s more of the same on the palate beginning with a caramel malt backbone that’s heightened by the addition of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, grass, and floral, gently bitter pine at the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a well-balanced beer that leans just as much into the malts as it does the expected grapefruit element.
ABV: 4.7%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
If you’re a fan of light, sessionable IPAs you’re likely well aware of Founder All Day IPA. But did you know there’s a hazy grapefruit version? This citrusy, hoppy, crushable beer is brewed with 2-row, Crystal light malts as well as rolled oats and red wheat. It gets its hop aroma and flavor from the use of Citra, Amarillo, and Simcoe hops.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is loaded with notes of freshly baked bread, caramel malts, grapefruit zest, orange peels, and dank, resinous pine. Sipping it reveals notes of yeasty bread, caramel malts, tangerine, grapefruit, grass, hay, and resinous, sticky pine needles. The finish is perfectly bitter and hoppy.
Bottom Line:
For a light, sessionable IPA, this grapefruit-centered beer has a ton of aroma and flavor. It’s a great beer for a hot, sunny day.
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
With a name like Hello, Grapefruit you should have a pretty good idea about what you’re in for when you sip this beer. Brewed with two-row and Caravienne malts as well as white wheat and Citra and Amarillo hops, it’s known for its malty, tropical fruit, citrus, piney, crisp flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
This light, sessionable beer begins with a nose of bready malts, honey, mango, grapefruit, and dank pine. On the palate, you’ll find notes of yeasty bread, caramel, honey, grass, mango, guava, lemon, a ton of grapefruit, and floral, resinous piney hops. The finish is lightly bitter in the best way.
Bottom Line:
While this beer has a ton of grapefruit aroma and flavor, it also has a good deal of malt as well as other tropical fruit flavors to make it stand out from the crowd.
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Available from December through March, this 6.5% ABV IPA is brewed with 2-row pale malt and honey malt. It gets its hop presence from the liberal use of Simcoe. Simcoe Cryo, and Strata hops. It gets its citrus element from the addition of real grapefruit extract.
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are aromas of cereal grains, lemon peels, tangerines, grapefruit zest, and dank pine. On the palate, you’ll find notes of biscuit-like malts, caramel, grass, pink grapefruit juice, lemon peels, and resinous pine. The finish is a nice mix of citrus and hop bitterness.
Bottom Line:
While there’s a nice kick of grapefruit, this is a good choice for fans of citrus in general. There’s much more to this IPA than just grapefruit.
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: $8 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
This Nantucket-based brewery makes a handful of popular beers. Our favorite is the Gripah Grapefruit IPA. Loaded with grapefruit, other citrus, tropical fruit flavors, and dank piney hops, it’s brewed with Citra, Amarillo, Galaxy, and El Dorado hops.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of caramel malts, tangerine, pink grapefruit, mango, guava, pineapple, grass, and herbal, floral hops start everything off on the right foot. Sipping it brings forth notes of biscuity malts, orange peels, lemongrass, pink grapefruit juice, mango, caramelized pineapple, and resinous pine. The finish is pleasantly hoppy and bitter.
Bottom Line:
Sweet malts, tropical fruits, random citrus fruits, grapefruit, and bitter pine. What’s not to love?
ABV: 8.8%
Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
This isn’t your average citrus IPA. It’s a potent, fruity, citrus-filled 8.8% ABV West Coast double IPA with grapefruit. It gets its flavor from the addition of real grapefruit and Mosaic and Centennial hops. The result is a hoppy, bitter, dry IPA you won’t soon forget.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is a nice mix of ripe grapefruit, lemongrass, candied orange peels, sweet malts, hay, and dank, resinous pine needles. Drinking it reveals notes of caramel malts, honey, grass, lemon peels, lime zest, tangerine, grapefruit, and dank, sticky, spicy hops. The finish is dry and bitter and leaves you craving more.
Bottom Line:
Claremont Grapefruit IPA is a classic West Coast IPA with a tart, citrus twist. Oh yeah, and it’s 8.8% ABV.
ABV: 6.3%
Average Price: $13 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Holy Roller is Urban South’s flagship hazy IPA. It only made sense to make a grapefruit-centric version. This year-round favorite is brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops as well as real grapefruit. The result is a hazy, juicy, citrus-filled New England-style IPA that can’t be missed.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of yeasty bread, grapefruit, tangerines, caramel malts, fresh-cut grass, pineapple, and fur tips make for a welcoming start. The palate continues this trend with freshly baked bread, caramel malts, honey, fresh flowers, wet grass, hay, tangerine, lemon peels, pink grapefruit, and dank pine. The finish is a mix of sweetness and bitter hops.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of New England-style IPAs and you also enjoy fruited IPAs, this is a beer for you.
ABV: 7%
Average Price: $14 for a six-pack
The Beer:
When it comes to grapefruit IPAs, there are none more famous than Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin. Like the brand’s classic Sculpin IPA, it’s brewed with Simcoe and Amarillo hops. The addition of grapefruit flavor kicks this beer into overdrive.
Tasting Notes:
A nose of caramel malts, honey, fresh-cut grass, hay, lemon, grapefruit zest, and dank pine starts everything off on a pleasant note. The palate is classic IPA with a ton of caramel malt, wet grass, honey, hay, pineapple, tangerine, lemon peel, pink grapefruit, and resinous, sticky pine. The finish is very bitter and ties everything together nicely.
Bottom Line:
If you only drink one beer on this list, make it Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin. It ticks all the grapefruit IPA boxes.
