IPAs Are 10x Tastier When Paired With This Citrus (Not Lemon Or Lime)

Beer is a famously easygoing libation. It's more synonymous with barbecues and baseball games than the highbrow world of fancy cocktailing. But that doesn't mean that it can't also be terrific with a few little additions, flavors in the citrus family being primary among them. Corona, of course, is classically paired with a lime wedge. Lemon is compulsory for radlers and shandys. Even the burnt orange notes in Campari are great with light suds like lagers and pilsners. And your hoppy IPAs take flavor leaps and bounds with a splash of grapefruit.

The hops in many IPAs, while sometimes skewing more earthy, bitter, or herbaceous, can already land like grapefruit on a lot of people's palates. So further enhancing that essence is a natural next step. That plenty of breweries have more explicitly incorporated grapefruit in their products is a testament to the tasty combination. Those bottles and cans require no additional juice, but you can DIY your own bespoke variety with as little as a spritz, or a full-on squeeze of grapefruit into a purportedly plain IPA. Just make sure you're familiar enough with each separate tipple before you get to combining them.

Even the most newly minted drinker can probably tell you that an IPA is going to be hoppy, but there is still a lot of variation within the category. Some skew powerfully toward the aforementioned bitterness, while others have some of that preexisting, sweeter appeal. Some IPAs are also more carbonated than others. And you can let those loose metrics serve as guidelines for just what kind of grapefruit, and how much, you might want to add to an IPA.

Unless you're aiming to really sour up those super bitter IPAs, you'll likely want to skip fresh grapefruit juice in favor of a sweetened bottled variety. The natural tartness of fresh juice is just too intense to have a broad appeal when combined with a bracingly bitter beer. A splash of something with a little extra sugar from the grocery store or supermarket will mingle better. You can work in the reverse for fruitier or more floral IPAs, which can stand up to a pucker-inducing fresh grapefruit punch. You can begin by adding half an ounce at a time to taste, but you'll want to stay on the conservative side if you are prioritizing carbonation. The more flat liquid you add, the more bubbles you'll lose. You could also consider using a grapefruit soda to create a kind of shandy-inspired grapefruit IPA and maintain your effervescence at the same time.