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Bitter is better for IPA lovers. This hop-forward brew is the most popular craft beer style in the United States, accounting for nearly in off-premise retail establishments in 2024, according to Circana data.

India pale ales in the 1800s, with the phrase first appearing in print in 1835. Brewer typically gets the credit for its development. His competitors started calling his hoppier brew India pale ale because of his contract with the British East India Company.

American brewers first began making English IPAs in the late 1800s, but Americans preferred lagers. It wasn't until 1975, when Anchor Brewing Company launched a dry-hopped pale ale, that craft brewers started to latch onto the style. In 1991, Oregon brewer Teri Fahrendorf made an IPA with all-American ingredients, creating the first American IPA.

Like other ales, IPAs contain , which gives them a robust flavor and aroma. IPAs are , responsible for the beer's characteristic bitterness and its notes of citrus, floral, or pine. These beers are known for their higher alcohol content, ranging from 5.5% to 7.5%, although session IPAs are lower in ABV, and double or triple IPAs are higher.

Brewers like IPAs because they allow for bold creativity. West Coast IPAs are known for their , with brewers pushing the bounds of bitterness. While true IPA aficionados love that element, many are now leaning toward the more approachable New England-style IPA, which is hazier in appearance and maximizes the fruitier characteristics of hops without the extreme and potentially off-putting bitter taste.

Whatever your IPA preference, there are endless options to choose from. compiled a list of the best IPAs from Virginia, using data from , and sorted them according to their weighted ranking. Beers without images were excluded. Only IPAs that made BeerAdvocate's top 100 beer list by state were included.

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BeerAdvocate

1 / 19

#19. Bask

- Rating: 4.28 (58 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 7.8%
- Brewery: Basic City Beer Company
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BeerAdvocate

2 / 19

#18. Grand Larceny

- Rating: 4.24 (99 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: The Answer Brewpub
-

BeerAdvocate

3 / 19

#17. Bitter Valentine

- Rating: 4.23 (570 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.3%
- Brewery: Alewerks Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

4 / 19

#16. Battle Creek

- Rating: 4.32 (72 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Triple Crossing Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

5 / 19

#15. Green Dreams

- Rating: 4.32 (80 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Triple Crossing Brewing
-

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BeerAdvocate

6 / 19

#14. Nectar & Knife

- Rating: 4.30 (126 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Triple Crossing Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

7 / 19

#13. Interstellar Burst

- Rating: 4.36 (69 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Triple Crossing Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

8 / 19

#12. Hard In The Paint

- Rating: 4.35 (79 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: The Answer Brewpub
-

BeerAdvocate

9 / 19

#11. Dirt Nap

- Rating: 4.36 (251 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.8%
- Brewery: The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery
-

BeerAdvocate

10 / 19

#10. Crucial Taunt

- Rating: 4.35 (374 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery
-

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BeerAdvocate

11 / 19

#9. Stellar Parallax

- Rating: 4.38 (215 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.1%
- Brewery: Aslin Beer Company
-

BeerAdvocate

12 / 19

#8. We Ded Mon

- Rating: 4.41 (154 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery
-

BeerAdvocate

13 / 19

#7. Talking Backwards

- Rating: 4.46 (91 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 10.8%
- Brewery: Ocelot Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

14 / 19

#6. IdonteverEVERwanttoBU

- Rating: 4.45 (105 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 9.3%
- Brewery: The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery
-

BeerAdvocate

15 / 19

#5. whiteferrari

- Rating: 4.40 (260 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery
-

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BeerAdvocate

16 / 19

#4. Orange Starfish

- Rating: 4.39 (420 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.5%
- Brewery: Aslin Beer Company
-

BeerAdvocate

17 / 19

#3. Mind The Hop

- Rating: 4.42 (312 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 9.5%
- Brewery: Aslin Beer Company
-

BeerAdvocate

18 / 19

#2. Master Of Karate

- Rating: 4.41 (537 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.4%
- Brewery: Aslin Beer Company
-

BeerAdvocate

19 / 19

#1. Double Orange Starfish

- Rating: 4.46 (500 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.3%
- Brewery: Aslin Beer Company
-

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.