These Minnesota and Iowa Beers Are among the Best in America

Beer has been a universally loved beverage for centuries but there are certain varieties of the drink that definitely divide people.

The subjects of craft brews, ciders, and seltzers have led to some pretty passionate discussions, but the biggest hot-button topic in the beer world these days boils down to three letters - IPA.

The heavily hoppy taste of India Pale Ales has fractured public opinion - you either love it or you hate it.

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For IPA lovers, you've got a trio of great choices from breweries in the Upper Midwest.

Two creations from Minnesota breweries and one from Iowa are on Thrillist rundown of the '38 Best IPAs in America Right Now'

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Fair State Brewing Double Universe (8.6% alcohol by volume) - Minneapolis

Here's Thrillst's take on this brew:

'Fair State is one of Minnesota’s largest and best breweries, known for hop-heavy and European farmhouse styles of beer, and not ignoring everything from lagers to big barrel-aged beauties.

An old episode of Star Trek inspired the name for flagship hazy IPA “Mirror Universe.” But in a last-minute plot twist worthy of a J.J. Abrams reboot, Fair State created the once-a-year special episode release of Double Universe that takes everything you know and love about the original but doubles the explosions because sequels always have to top the original.

Double Universe poses the possibility of another reality where every beer was as soft and pillowy, juicy sweet, and tropical as a starburst with a cool and mellow cold ferment as this special edition release that inspires repeat viewings, double-takes, thrills, chills, and jump scares.'

Lupulin Brewing Hooey (6.2% alcohol by volume) - Big Lake, Minnesota

Here's Thrillst's take on this brew:

'This juicy little number took the Twin Cities by storm. When it hit draft lines at one popular beer bar in Minneapolis, the bar’s owner told us every customer’s reaction was: “Who? What? Give me more of that!” Six hops—Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, Amarillo, Mandarina Bavaria, and El Dorado—are woven together in a way that’s complex but not muddled, making Hooey a something-for-everyone crowd pleaser.

It’s only been canned since June 2017 and sees distribution mostly around Minneapolis and Duluth. Or, if you can't find it, get it straight from the source at Lupulin’s Big Lake, Minnesota taproom.'

Toppling Goliath King Sue (8% alcohol by volume) - Decorah, Iowa

Here's Thrillst's take on this brew:

'If you’ve love PsuedoSue, you can imagine the appeal of her all-grown-up big brother, a wallop of a double IPA packing a massive Citra hop punch. All of the Citra calling cards—mango, orange, lime, pineapple—are there, with a beefed-up ABV and double the IBUs.

Fans in Rhode Island and Massachusetts are in luck, as the Iowa-based Toppling Goliath chose those two states in its steady distribution expansion.'

THE REST OF AMERICA'S BEST IPAs (Thrillist)

• Finback Smooth Beats Miami - Brooklyn/Queens, New York
• Firestone Walker Hopnosis - Paso Robles, California
• Monday Night Space Lettuce - Atlanta, Georgia
• Foam Brewers The Shining - Burlington, Vermont
• Burke-Gilman Brewing Fresh Hopotheosis - Seattle, Washington
• Beale Street Space Age Sippin - Memphis, Tennessee
• Alpine Duet - Alpine, California
• Breakside Wanderjack - Portland, Oregon
• Trillium Congress Street - Boston, Massachusetts
• Magnanimous Juice Lord - Tampa, Florida
• Clag Brewing Papa Bui - Sandusky, Ohio
• Russian River DDH Pliny the Elder - Santa Rosa, California
• Crowns & Hops HBCU Hazy and West Coast IPA Series - Inglewood, California
• Creature Comforts Cosmik Debris - Athens, Georgia
• Fox Farm Burst - Salem, Connecticut
• Weldwerks Brewing Juicy Bits - Greeley, Colorado
• Tree House Julius - Charlton, Massachusetts
• 450 North Kiddie Pool - Columbus, Indiana
• La Cumbre Project Dank - Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Threes Logical Conclusion - Brooklyn, New York
• Southern Prohibition Brewing Paradise Lost - Hattiesburg, Mississippi
• Maine Beer Lunch - Freeport, Maine
• Good Word Brewing Never Sleep - Duluth, Georgia
• Pipeworks Ninja vs. Unicorn - Chicago, Illinois
• Mother Road Brewing Tower Station - Flagstaff, Arizona
• Moonraker Brewing Yojo - Auburn, California
• Transient Artisan Ales The Juice Is Loose - Bridgman, Michigan
• BKS Artisan Ales Counter Culture IPA - Kansas City, Missouri
• Homes Same Same Different - Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Industrial Arts Wrench - Garnerville, New York
• Orono Brewing Tubular - Orono, Maine
• Green Bench Sunshine City - St. Petersburg, Florida
• 2 Row Brewing Feelin’ Hazy Double IPA - Midvale, Utah
• Revision Brewing Trying To Get My Aroma, Bro - Sparks, Nevada
• Anchorage Brewing Citra Bitter Monk - Anchorage, Alaska