Avery Go Play IPA 6Pk

Avery Go Play IPA 6-Pack is a session-strength India pale ale from Boulder, Colorado, brewed at 5.5% ABV and sold in six-packs of 12 oz cans. Dubbed an "IPA-Ade" by Avery Brewing Company, this expression distinguished itself in the crowded IPA field through its unconventional addition of sodium and potassium — electrolytes typically associated with sports drinks — layered into a generously dry-hopped, tropical hop bill.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.5%  |  Origin: Boulder, Colorado, USA  |  Style: American IPA (Session-Strength)  |  Brewery: Avery Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

Avery Brewing Company was founded in 1993 in Boulder, Colorado, and has earned a reputation for bold, boundary-pushing ales. Go Play IPA was built on a grain bill of 2-Row barley, wheat, and Vienna malt, then dry-hopped liberally with Simcoe, Idaho 7, Columbus, and Vic Secret hops — a combination chosen to drive tropical and dank aromatics. The defining twist is the measured addition of sodium and potassium to the finished beer, giving it a subtle mineral salinity and positioning it as a lower-ABV option designed for active, outdoor drinking occasions. Note: Go Play IPA has been discontinued by Avery Brewing and is available only while remaining stock lasts.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Opens with juicy tropical fruit — mango and peach — before shifting into dank, resinous pine from the Simcoe and Columbus hops. A subtle citrus peel brightness sits underneath, with faint herbal and mineral undertones.

Taste: The entry is surprisingly full for a 5.5% beer, delivering immediate citrus and stone fruit sweetness from the hop oils. Mid-palate, a gentle salinity emerges alongside herbal bitterness, creating a savory-sweet tension. The wheat malt lends a soft, round body that keeps the hops from turning sharp.

Finish: Crisp, clean, and moderately dry with a lingering mineral saltiness on the tongue. A faint echo of peach and pine fades over several seconds without excessive bitterness.

How to Drink Go Play IPA

Go Play is best served cold, straight from the can, ideally between 40–45°F to let the tropical hop character bloom without dulling the mineral edge. A tulip glass or standard pint will release more aroma if you prefer a pour. For cocktail-adjacent serves: try a Hop Shandy by mixing with fresh lemonade, which amplifies the citrus peel notes; a Michelada, where the built-in salinity complements the tomato-lime base naturally; or a Radler with grapefruit soda, which extends the tropical profile into a lighter, lower-ABV refresher.

Best For

• Post-hike or post-game sessions where a full-strength IPA feels too heavy
• Backyard cookouts and warm-weather day drinking
• IPA enthusiasts looking for a novel electrolyte twist on the style
• Collecting a discontinued Avery release before remaining stock is gone

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Go Play IPA taste like? Go Play IPA delivers juicy tropical fruit and citrus peel up front, followed by a distinctive mineral saltiness from added sodium and potassium, finishing crisp and clean with moderate hop bitterness.

How does Go Play IPA compare to Founders All Day IPA? Both target the lower-ABV, "drinkable IPA" segment — Founders All Day sits at 4.7% ABV with a more traditional malt-forward balance, while Go Play runs slightly higher at 5.5% and differentiates with its electrolyte addition and heavier tropical dry-hop character. Go Play leans danker and more mineral-driven, whereas All Day IPA favors a lighter, more restrained hop profile.

Is Go Play IPA good for sipping on its own? Yes — at 5.5% ABV with a full hop profile and built-in salinity, it drinks like a complete beer rather than a watered-down IPA, making it well suited for extended, relaxed drinking sessions.

Where is Go Play IPA made? Go Play IPA was brewed by Avery Brewing Company in Boulder, Colorado, a craft brewery founded in 1993 that is now part of the Mahou San Miguel family of breweries.

What foods pair well with Go Play IPA? Grilled fish tacos, where the citrus hop notes mirror a squeeze of lime; spicy Thai green curry, which the malt sweetness helps temper; sharp cheddar cheese, balanced by the beer's bitterness; grilled chicken with chimichurri, complemented by the herbal hop character; and salted pretzels, which echo the beer's own mineral salinity.

What sizes does Go Play IPA come in? Go Play IPA was sold primarily in 6-packs of 12 oz cans, the standard format for Avery's year-round and seasonal lineup.

Is Go Play IPA worth the price? Go Play positioned as a mid-range craft IPA, priced in line with other premium 6-packs from established Colorado breweries. Its electrolyte concept and generous four-hop dry-hop bill gave it a distinctive value proposition within the session IPA tier, though its discontinued status may affect current availability and pricing.

Why Go Play IPA?

Go Play IPA stood apart in a saturated IPA market by borrowing from sports-drink science — its deliberate sodium and potassium addition was not a gimmick but a functional choice that created a genuinely different flavor profile, one with a savory, mineral undertone rarely found in hop-forward ales. The four-hop combination of Simcoe, Idaho 7, Columbus, and Vic Secret delivered a layered tropical-to-dank aromatic range that punched well above its 5.5% ABV. With its Untappd rating of 3.6 from over 15,700 reviews, it earned solid community approval during its run. As a now-discontinued expression from one of Colorado's most respected craft breweries, remaining stock represents one of the more unusual and collectible entries in the session IPA category.