Food & Drink
The 10 Best Craft Beers on Gopuff
The best IPAs are bursting with complex, hoppy flavor, and we’ve compiled a selection of the finest available—all of which can be ordered on Gopuff
April 8, 2021
Over the last decade or so, America’s craft beer scene has exploded. And, honestly, that’s kind of an understatement. The nation is now home to thousands upon thousands of independent breweries and some of the best craft beers in the world.
Looking to sample the finest craft brews on the market? Let us lend a hand. We’ve compiled a list of the best craft beers you can get from Gopuff, ranging from time-tested favorites to regional superstars.
Best Light Craft Beer: Allagash White
The Details
Brewer: Allagash Brewing Company
Brewery Location: Portland, Maine
Beer Style: Belgian witbier
ABV: 5.2%
Why It’s Great
The craft beer industry is arguably most known for heavier, hop-forward beer styles, like IPAs, but Allagash White has nonetheless managed to attain star status. It’s brewed in the Belgian witbier style (a type of wheat beer), which results in a lighter, cloudier look matched with a delectably spiced flavor. This one’s great for beer drinkers who’d like to expand their palate, but have only ever loved domestic lagers.
If you like Allagash White, try these:
Best Straightforward Pale Ale: Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale
The Details
Brewer: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Brewery Location: Petaluma, California
Beer Style: Pale wheat ale
ABV: 7.5%
Why It’s Great
Lagunitas isn’t really a craft brewery anymore—it was half-acquired by Heineken International in 2015, and the remainder of the company was purchased in 2017. But before that, the brewery was one of the biggest names in the craft game, and its brews still deliver craft-level quality. Especially A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’.
This pale wheat ale delivers a remarkable smoothness in spite of its 7.5% ABV, though it finishes with a hoppier punch that’ll undoubtedly appeal to longtime IPA drinkers. In fact, as Lagunitas says, this beer tends to defy classification, and as a result, has broad appeal.
If you like Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, try these:
Best for Liquor Lovers: Goose Island Bourbon County Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout
The Details
Brewer: Goose Island Beer Co.
Brewery Location: Chicago, Illinois
Beer Style: Imperial stout
ABV: 14.6%
Why It’s Great
Goose Island’s Bourbon County beers are basically the mainstream face of the barrel-aged stout. This beer is imbued with punchy liquor flavors via one full year spent aging in bourbon barrels, but it’s not as in-your-face as one might expect. To the contrary, this beer’s more powerful bourbon notes are complemented by a mouthwatering richness carrying hints of vanilla and caramel. For those interested in delving deeper into the world of barrel-aged beers, there’s no better entry point.
If you like Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, try this:
Best Sour: Avery Bug Zapper Sour Ale
The Details
Brewer: Avery Brewing Company
Brewery Location: Boulder, Colorado
Beer Style: Sour ale
ABV: 6%
Why It’s Great
Sour beers are, well, interesting. Among many craft beer enthusiasts, they’re surprisingly divisive. But, at the same time, their vibrant, fruity flavors offer a great way to ease people who don’t like heavier brews into the world of craft beer.
Avery’s Bug Zapper (a seasonal brew made in the summertime) is a particularly great beer because it’s just plain different. The three core ingredients that the brewery highlights—mint, lime and ginger—offer a sharp, clean freshness you won’t find in many sours. This could make it even more divisive than your typical sour ale, but it certainly helps it stand out from the crowd.
If you like Avery Bug Zapper, try these:
Best Hazy/New England IPA: Deschutes Fresh Squeezed Hazy IPA
The Details
Brewer: Deschutes Brewery
Brewery Location: Bend, Oregon
Beer Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.4%
Why It’s Great
Like sours, hazy IPAs are a good way to get into craft beer if you’re not yet accustomed to darker, more bitter hop flavors. Unlike their piney counterparts, these hazy brews are often quite juicy, and Deschutes Fresh Squeezed certainly falls under that category (if the name wasn’t a dead giveaway). It’s brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops, both common choices for hazy beers thanks to their fruity notes. It also appears on our list of the 10 Best IPAs to Try Right Now.
If you like Deschutes Fresh Squeezed, try these:
Best Heavy Belgian Beer: Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
The Details
Brewer: Unibroue
Brewery Location: Chamblay, Quebec, Canada
Beer Style: Belgian tripel
ABV: 9%
Why It’s Great
There’s a simple reason Unibroue’s award-winning La Fin Du Monde has remained the brewery’s most iconic beer since its debut in 1994: it’s delicious.
An excellent example of what makes the Belgian tripel so interesting, La Fin Du Monde’s flavor is rich and deceptively approachable, featuring a spiced warmth with hints of banana. But while it’s surprisingly easy to drink, its ABV still clocks in at a whopping 9%, which makes it a brew best sipped slowly, so you have ample time to savor its complexity.
If you like La Fin Du Monde, try these:
Best Straightforward Stout: Yards Love Stout
The Details
Brewer: Yards Brewing Company
Brewery Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Beer type: Irish dry stout
ABV: 5.5%
Why It’s Great
With most stouts, coffee and chocolate flavors reign supreme. The Yards Love Stout is no exception, and it balances both impeccably. Expect a creamy mouthfeel that makes this drink a touch more chuggable than many of its peers. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, keep an eye out for Love Stout’s variations—the brewery has created several versions, including habanero, vanilla and more.
If you like Yards Love Stout, try these:
Best Non-Alcoholic Beer: Athletic Brewing Company Run Wild IPA
The Details
Brewer: Athletic Brewing Company
Brewery Location: Stratford, Connecticut
Beer Style: Non-alcoholic IPA
ABV: 0.4%
Why It’s Great
Non-alcoholic craft beer may sound blasphemous, but it’s a welcome option for those who’d like to sip something tasty without getting buzzed.
Athletic’s Run Wild IPA is easily one of the brewery’s finest offerings. It’s both malty and hoppy without going overboard on either end of the spectrum. Plus, it’s not far off from a traditional IPA, flavor-wise, though it’s perhaps a bit cleaner.
If you like Athletic Run Wild IPA, try this:
Best IPA for IPA Haters: Evil Genius #Adulting Guava IPA
The Details
Brewer: Evil Genius Beer Company
Brewery Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Beer style: American IPA
ABV: 6.8%
Why It’s Great
The most vocal IPA naysayers often reference the style’s bitter, piney flavor as the reason for their disdain. But, believe it or not, not every IPA tastes the same! Who knew?
#Adulting is a unique brew that complements IPA hoppiness with guava. Whether or not you know what guava actually tastes like, the fruitiness is clearly there, creating a tasty beer that’s much more than just the mouthful of hops you’ll find with IPAs from other craft beer brands.
If you like Evil Genius #Adulting Guava IPA, try these:
Best Porter: Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter
The Details
Brewer: Funky Buddha Brewery
Brewery Location: Oakland Park, Florida
Beer Style: Coffee Porter
ABV: 6.4%
Why It’s Great
It’s marketed as a “diner-style breakfast in a glass.” And it tastes like a diner-style breakfast in a glass. Need we say more?
What makes Funky Buddha’s Maple Bacon Coffee Porter beer so special is the complexity of its flavor. It’s got the maltiness that’s typical of most porters, yet it’s accompanied by a combination of sweet, smoky and savory notes to create a beer that thrills the palate from the moment the bottle touches your lips. Just keep in mind that this is typically a seasonal brew that hits shelves in January.
If you like Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter, try these:
Try something new
Whether you’re a craft beer newbie or a time-tested beer connoisseur, Gopuff makes it simpler than ever to get your hands on a massive variety of flavorful craft brews. Browse our extensive craft beer selection (and other types of alcohol, while you’re at it), then pick whatever strikes your fancy, and we’ll get it to your door quick.
