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The Rise of the Grapefruit IPA

Northwest hops can help make an IPA taste like grapefruit, but to pack that extra tropical-bitter pucker brewers turn to actual citrus. Behold five beers that could easily replace lemonade.

By Brian Yaeger June 22, 2015 Published in the July 2015 issue of Portland Monthly

Northwest hops  can help make an IPA taste like grapefruit, but to pack that extra tropical-bitter pucker brewers turn to actual citrus. Behold five beers that could easily replace lemonade:

1  Lompoc Pamplemousse Citrus IPA

Grapefruity hops like Centennial and Chinook complement real fruit juice.   5.8% ABV, 70 IBU

2  Coalition Brewing Space Fruit

Remember Five Alive “juice drink”? Coalition replicated the childhood treat in an IPA using zest and juice from oranges, grapefruits, lemons, tangerines, and limes.  7% ABV, 50 IBU

3  Portland U-Brew Grapefruit IPA

 While Cascade hops do the heavy lifting, brewers add a whole grapefruit to each batch.  5.7% ABV, 80 IBU

4  Hop Valley Citrus Mistress

Brewed with grapefruit peel and four hop varieties, this is a classic Pacific Northwest IPA with just a hint of tropical fruit flavor.  6.5% ABV, 80 IBU

Honorable Mention  -  Breakside Tropical Fruit Salad 

This summer’s “hopless IPA” contains neither grapefruit nor (many) hops. Instead, it uses mango. pineapple, guava, passionfruit, tangerine, and lychee.   6.2% ABV, 40 IBU

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