
Highest-rated IPAs in Virginia
Highest-rated IPAs in Virginia
Bitter is better for IPA lovers. This hop-forward brew is the most popular craft beer style in the United States, accounting for nearly half of all beer sales in off-premise retail establishments in 2024, according to Circana data.
India pale ales originated in England in the 1800s, with the phrase first appearing in print in 1835. Brewer George Hodgson 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 top-fermenting yeast, which gives them a robust flavor and aroma. IPAs are loaded with hops, 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 high hop levels, 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. Stacker compiled a list of the best IPAs from Virginia, using data from BeerAdvocate, 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.
#19. Bask
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 7.8%
- Brewery: Basic City Beer Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#18. Grand Larceny
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: The Answer Brewpub
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#17. Bitter Valentine
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.3%
- Brewery: Alewerks Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#16. Battle Creek
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Triple Crossing Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#15. Green Dreams
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Triple Crossing Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#14. Nectar & Knife
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Triple Crossing Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#13. Interstellar Burst
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Triple Crossing Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#12. Hard In The Paint
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: The Answer Brewpub
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#11. Dirt Nap
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.8%
- Brewery: The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#10. Crucial Taunt
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#9. Stellar Parallax
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.1%
- Brewery: Aslin Beer Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#8. We Ded Mon
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#7. Talking Backwards
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 10.8%
- Brewery: Ocelot Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#6. IdonteverEVERwanttoBU
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 9.3%
- Brewery: The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#5. whiteferrari
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#4. Orange Starfish
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.5%
- Brewery: Aslin Beer Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#3. Mind The Hop
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 9.5%
- Brewery: Aslin Beer Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#2. Master Of Karate
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.4%
- Brewery: Aslin Beer Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#1. Double Orange Starfish
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.3%
- Brewery: Aslin Beer Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.