Around The Bend Maui Gold 4Pk

Around The Bend Maui Gold 4Pk is a session IPA brewed with 100% Citra hops and sweet pineapple, coming in at 4.5% ABV and 66 IBU. Produced by Chicago's Around the Bend Beer Co., this tropical-leaning session ale distinguishes itself through its exclusive reliance on a single hop varietal paired with real fruit addition — a combination that delivers pronounced tropical character without the weight of a full-strength IPA.

Quick Facts: ABV: 4.5%  |  IBU: 66  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: Session IPA  |  Brewery: Around the Bend Beer Co.

Production & Heritage

Around the Bend Beer Co. brews Maui Gold at District Brew Yards, located at 417 N. Ashland Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The recipe relies on a 100% Citra hop bill — a deliberate choice that channels the varietal's signature grapefruit, melon, and lime character without competing hop profiles muddying the picture. Sweet pineapple is added to complement the Citra's natural tropical tendencies, creating a fruit-forward beer that stays balanced rather than candy-sweet. At 4.5% ABV, Maui Gold lands firmly in session territory, designed for extended drinking without palate fatigue, while the 66 IBU figure keeps a firm bitter backbone that prevents the fruit addition from overwhelming the hop structure.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Juicy pineapple leads, followed by layers of tangerine, grapefruit, and passion fruit. Underneath the tropical fruit, subtle notes of cracker, light pepper, and grassy earthiness round out the nose.

Taste: The entry is bright and citrus-forward, with pineapple and grapefruit arriving first on the palate. Mid-palate introduces spicy, grassy hop character and hints of mango and melon. The bitterness builds steadily but never dominates, keeping the tropical fruit notes in clear focus throughout.

Finish: Clean and moderately dry with a lingering citrus-peel bitterness and a faint herbal quality. The pineapple sweetness fades quickly, leaving behind the Citra hops' piney, floral tail.

How to Drink Maui Gold

Maui Gold drinks best cold, straight from the can or poured into a shaker pint. Its light body and sessionable ABV make it a natural warm-weather beer that doesn't require fuss. For a Shandy, combine it with fresh lemonade — the existing citrus notes integrate seamlessly. In a Michelada, Maui Gold's tropical brightness plays well against lime, hot sauce, and Tajín. Try it in a Beer-a-Rita blended with frozen lime juice and a splash of triple sec, where the pineapple character stands in for additional fruit garnish.

Best For

• Backyard barbecues and outdoor cookouts where low ABV means longer enjoyment
• IPA drinkers looking for a lighter session option without sacrificing hop complexity
• Beach days, pool parties, and warm-weather gatherings
• Introducing hop-forward styles to friends who typically avoid bitter beers

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Maui Gold taste like? Maui Gold delivers a bright tropical profile dominated by pineapple, grapefruit, and passion fruit, balanced by spicy, grassy hop bitterness. It drinks clean and light with a citrus-forward finish rather than heavy malt sweetness.

How does Maui Gold compare to Founders All Day IPA? Both are session IPAs built for extended drinking, but Maui Gold leans more aggressively tropical thanks to its pineapple addition and single-varietal Citra hop bill, while Founders All Day IPA at 4.7% ABV offers a more traditional, malt-balanced American IPA profile. Maui Gold also registers higher bitterness at 66 IBU compared to All Day IPA's 42 IBU.

Is Maui Gold good for beginners? Its low 4.5% ABV and prominent fruit character make it approachable for newcomers to the IPA category, though the 66 IBU bitterness may surprise drinkers accustomed to lagers or wheat beers.

Where is Maui Gold made? Maui Gold is brewed by Around the Bend Beer Co. at District Brew Yards, located at 417 N. Ashland Avenue in Chicago, Illinois — despite the Hawaiian-inspired name, this is a Midwest-brewed beer.

What foods pair well with Maui Gold? Grilled shrimp tacos match the beer's tropical citrus notes. Spicy Thai green curry benefits from the light body and hop bitterness cutting through coconut cream richness. Hawaiian poke bowls echo the pineapple character naturally. Sharp aged cheddar contrasts the fruit-forward hops, and jerk chicken finds a cooling counterpart in Maui Gold's clean, crisp finish.

What sizes does Maui Gold come in? Maui Gold is available in a 4-pack format, which is the standard retail configuration for this expression.

Is Maui Gold worth the price? Maui Gold positions as an accessible session IPA in a competitive craft beer landscape, and its single-varietal hop bill with real fruit addition gives it more production complexity than many beers at this price tier — solid value for drinkers seeking a tropical session ale with genuine hop credentials.

Why Maui Gold?

The decision to brew exclusively with Citra hops rather than blending multiple varietals gives Maui Gold a clarity of flavor that many fruit-forward session IPAs lack. Where competing session IPAs often dilute their character to achieve low ABV, Maui Gold's 66 IBU backbone provides real structure — unusual assertiveness for a 4.5% beer. The pineapple addition works as an amplifier of Citra's natural tropical tendencies rather than a mask, keeping the beer rooted in hop-driven flavor. With an 83 on BeerAdvocate and over 2,950 ratings on Untappd averaging 3.5 out of 5, Maui Gold has built a steady following among session IPA drinkers who want fruit character without gimmickry.