Sierra Nevada Juicy Hazy Little Thing 6Pk

Sierra Nevada Juicy Hazy Little Thing 6Pk is a 6.7% ABV unfiltered New England-style hazy IPA sold in a six-pack of 12 oz cans. Brewed with lupulin hop dust and a hefty grain bill of oats and wheat, this expression scored 89 on BeerAdvocate across more than 1,800 ratings, cementing its place as one of the most widely recognized hazy IPAs on the American market.

Quick Facts: ABV: 6.7%  |  Origin: Chico, California  |  Style: New England-Style Hazy IPA  |  Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.  |  IBU: 40

Production & Heritage

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was founded in 1980 by Ken Grossman in Chico, California, and is widely credited with shaping the American craft beer movement through its flagship Pale Ale. Juicy Hazy Little Thing builds on that legacy with a grain foundation of two-row pale malt, Munich malt, oats, and wheat — the last two responsible for generating the beer's characteristic turbid body and pillowy mouthfeel. The brew uses Magnum hops for bittering and a massive finishing blend of Citra, Comet, Simcoe, El Dorado, and Mosaic hops in the form of concentrated lupulin dust — the pure resinous flavor compound stripped from inside hop cones. Fermenters are held at slightly higher temperatures than standard practice so the haze remains stable rather than dropping out, and the beer goes directly from tank to can with no filtration or additional processing.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Pulpy orange juice dominates on the first pass, followed by layers of sugary lemon rind, mango skin, and ripe papaya. A soft herbal quality emerges beneath the tropical hop oils.

Taste: The entry is immediately juicy — bright tangerine and pineapple land first, transitioning into softer mango and white peach flavors at mid-palate. Bitterness is restrained at 40 IBUs, letting the oat-and-wheat body carry overripe grapefruit and tropical fruit through to a rounded, almost creamy peak.

Finish: Medium in length with a smooth, lightly resinous close. Residual citrus sweetness and a whisper of herbal tea linger without turning dry or astringent.

How to Drink Hazy Little Thing

Pour into a tulip glass or wide-mouth pint to release the full aromatic payload; drinking straight from the can mutes much of the hop aroma. Serve cold, around 40–45°F, allowing a slight warm-up as you drink. For a shandy-style cooler, blend with fresh-squeezed lemonade to amplify the citrus character. It also works as the beer component in a Michelada, where its tropical fruit profile pairs naturally with lime, hot sauce, and Clamato. As a beer-tail base in a Hop Drop 'n Roll — shaken with a splash of grapefruit juice and a dash of citrus bitters — the haze body adds silky texture.

Best For

• Introducing a lager drinker to the hazy IPA style without overwhelming bitterness
• Backyard cookouts and warm-weather afternoon sessions
• Pairing with spicy dishes like tacos al pastor or Thai curry
• Stocking a mixed craft-beer fridge with a dependable, year-round hazy option

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hazy Little Thing taste like? It delivers bold tropical fruit flavors — tangerine, pineapple, mango, and white peach — carried by a soft, creamy body with restrained bitterness at 40 IBUs. The overall impression is juicy and smooth rather than bitter or piney.

How does Hazy Little Thing compare to Bell's Two Hearted IPA? Bell's Two Hearted is a traditional American IPA with a clear body, pronounced pine and grapefruit bitterness, and a 7.0% ABV, while Hazy Little Thing is unfiltered, softer in bitterness, and leans heavily into tropical fruit. Both come from established craft breweries with nationwide distribution, but they represent different ends of the IPA spectrum.

Is Hazy Little Thing good for beginners? Yes — the low bitterness, fruit-forward flavor, and creamy mouthfeel make it one of the more approachable hazy IPAs available, particularly for drinkers transitioning from lighter styles.

Where is Hazy Little Thing made? It is brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, California, a brewery founded in 1980 that also operates a second facility in Mills River, North Carolina. The brand distributes nationally across the United States.

What foods pair well with Hazy Little Thing? Fish tacos work well, as the citrus hop oils echo a squeeze of lime. Grilled pineapple chicken mirrors the beer's tropical core. Thai green curry benefits from the beer's soft body taming the heat. A margherita pizza lets the hop fruit stand out against simple tomato and mozzarella. Sharp cheddar creates a satisfying sweet-savory contrast with the juicy malt base.

What sizes does Hazy Little Thing come in? The standard format is a six-pack of 12 oz cans, though Sierra Nevada also releases it in 19.2 oz single-serve stovepipe cans and 12-pack configurations depending on market availability.

Is Hazy Little Thing worth the price? It positions as an accessible, everyday hazy IPA from one of America's most established craft breweries, sitting comfortably in the mid-range craft six-pack tier. For the hop complexity and consistent quality delivered, it represents strong value against comparable hazy IPAs from smaller regional producers that often cost more per pack.

Why Hazy Little Thing?

What separates this beer from the flood of hazy IPAs that followed the New England craze is Sierra Nevada's brewing infrastructure and hop sourcing — few breweries in the country can secure the volume and variety of premium hop cultivars (Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, El Dorado, Comet) used here, let alone concentrate them into lupulin dust for maximum flavor extraction. The result is a remarkably fruit-forward beer with none of the astringent, vegetal off-notes that plague lesser hazies. An 89-point BeerAdvocate score backed by nearly 2,000 reviews signals broad consensus rather than hype, and the unfiltered, tank-to-can process preserves a freshness that more processed competitors struggle to match. For a nationally distributed hazy IPA at this price tier, it remains a benchmark.