Search for Lehigh Valley's Best IPAs

Threehigh

McCall Collective Brewing Company

102 E Susquehanna Street, Allentown & 7743 Hamilton Blvd.

The search for Lehigh Valley’s best IPA started off with a bang at McCall! The highest alcohol beer of the entire journey, this 10.6% ABV triple-hopped IPA doesn’t taste that potent (in a good way)! For that strong a beer, it’s surprisingly smooth, too!

Threehigh (10.6% ABV / 40 IBU / 4.2 rating on Untappd)

Winter Dreamz

Brü Daddy’s Brewing Company

732 Hamilton Street, Allentown

The only IPA on tap when I stopped in Brü Daddy’s, this traditional hazy gives winter vibes like a light, pillowy pile of snow on your tongue. Perfect pre-game drink before going across the street to PPL Center for a Lehigh Valley Phantoms game. (Pro tip: their 50-cent wing nights on Mondays may be the best deal in the Valley.)

Winter Dreamz (6.3% ABV / N/A IBU /3.91 rating on Untappd)

CitraSqueeze

HiJinx Brewing Company

905 Harrison Street, Allentown

If you’re just getting into IPAs, this is a great starting point. It’s on the fruity end of the spectrum, with little pine. A really solid balance of hops and citrus. Try it out on one of HiJinx's Disc Golf Putting League nights!

CitraSqueeze (6.5% ABV / 55 IBU / 3.63 rating on Untappd)

Take the Black & 50th Session IPAs

Yergey Brewing 

235 Main Street, Emmaus

The only Black IPA on this list, Take The Black is a smooth hybrid of a dark beer and IPA, with the best aspects of both. It might help you transition from one style to the other, as both varieties are acquired tastes. I also decided to sample their 50th Session IPA, a milestone in Yergey's awesome, rotating Session IPA series! It was very flowery with a hint of tropical citrus, and barely bitter.

Take The Black (6.1% ABV / 64 IBU / 3.72 rating on Untappd)
50th Session IPA (4.9% ABV / 40 IBU / 3.32 rating on Untappd)

Citrus & 365 IPAs

Funk Brewing

18 Bank Street, Emmaus

As its name suggests, Citrus is grapefruit forward and a nice day-drinking IPA without the super bitter taste. 365 is based on the first beer Funk Brewing ever brewed, and the only Rye IPA on the journey. My guest, who doesn’t typically like IPAs, liked this one, so it’s a pleasant surprise!

Citrus (6.1% ABV / 70 IBU / 3.84 rating on Untappd)
​365 (6.2% ABV / N/A IBU / 3.95 rating on Untappd)

Parity Bloom & That Loud IPAs

​Bonn Place Brewing Company

310-14 Taylor Street, Bethlehem

Parity Bloom is true parity as a well-balanced, hazy, fruity, smooth, and refreshing double IPA. That Loud was the epitome of bang-for-your-buck, turning up the volume to 10% ABV. Hints of a coffee flavor and goes down with a creamy, bitter finish. Bonn Place doesn’t have any TVs, so the room invites conversation between both friends and strangers.

Parity Bloom (6.6% ABV / N/A IBU / 4.0 rating on Untappd)
That Loud (10.0% ABV / N/A IBU / 4.08 rating on Untappd)

Hop Explosion

Fegley's Allentown Brew Works & Bethlehem Brew Works 

812 Hamilton Street, Allentown
59 Main Street, Bethlehem

As a Mug Club member, Fegley’s Allentown location has long been one of my favorite places to unwind after a Phantoms game, with IPAs that are top notch. The go-to Hop Explosion has an initial grapefruit taste, balanced with a malty body and final smack of bitterness.

Hop Explosion (7.0% ABV / 70 IBU / 3.57 rating on Untappd)

Double Simcoe

Weyerbacher Brewing

905 Line Street, Suite G, Easton

Great news: Weyerbacher is back open! Even better news, under new management, their beer still rules. Double Simcoe was my favorite of the tour. It’s everything I love in an IPA: a little fruit, a bunch of hoppyness, and a mighty 9.0% ABV. (Dogs are allowed in the taproom, too, so the vibe is also perfect.)

Double Simcoe 9.0% ABV / 90 IBU / 3.8 rating on Untappd

Flight

Böser Geist Brewing

There were too many intriguing IPAs on Böser Geist's list to pick just one. Lucky for me, it was flight night (beer *and* pierogi flights!), so I sampled four. Swole Whip, a “Milkshake” beer made with dairy, was the wildest concoction of the journey. It tastes like a certain amusement park’s famous frozen treat. Sip of Simcoe is fruity, hoppy, and fun! Dream Eater is a mix of a West Coast and a hazy. Creamy and smoooooooth. Coastal Crusader is light in appearance, but surprisingly hoppy! A good bridge from fruity to hoppy, if you’re looking to expand your palate.

Swole Whip 6.8% ABV / 57 IBU / 3.83 rating on Untappd
Sip of Simcoe 7.1% ABV / 47 IBU / 3.54 rating on Untappd
Double Dream Eater 6.2% ABV / 45 IBU / 3.55 rating on Untappd
Coastal Crusader 6.8% ABV / 56 IBU / N/A rating on Untappd