Boulevard Pop Up Ipa 6Pk

Boulevard Pop-Up Session IPA 6-Pack is a 4.2% ABV American session IPA brewed by Boulevard Brewing Co. in Kansas City, Missouri. Rated 91 on RateBeer and built on a five-hop recipe featuring Mosaic, Citra, Cascade, Amarillo, and Centennial, this sessionable ale stood out for its malt-driven structure and restrained bitterness at just 41 IBU. Boulevard has since retired Pop-Up from its regular lineup, making remaining stock increasingly difficult to find.

Quick Facts: ABV: 4.2%  |  Origin: Kansas City, Missouri  |  Style: American Session IPA  |  Brewery: Boulevard Brewing Co.  |  IBU: 41

Production & Heritage

Boulevard Brewing Co. was founded in 1989 by John McDonald and grew into one of the largest specialty breweries in the Midwest. Pop-Up Session IPA was built on a grain bill of base pale malt, Maris Otter, and amber malt, giving it a bready, lightly toasted foundation that set it apart from thinner session IPAs. The defining production technique was a whirlpool hop stand: after the boil, Cascade, Mosaic, and Citra hops were added and the wort was chilled to roughly 170°F and held for fifteen minutes, extracting aromatic hop oils and delicate flavor compounds while keeping harsh bitterness in check.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Surprisingly malt-forward for a session IPA, with light caramel, toasted grain, and gentle floral hop notes rising underneath. A faint honeydew sweetness lingers in the background.

Taste: The palate opens with bready, grainy malt character before herbal hop flavors—hints of mint and marjoram—take shape at mid-palate. Orange blossom and honeydew melon notes emerge alongside a bright squeeze of lemon citrus, all held in balance by the crisp, clean malt structure.

Finish: Medium-short with earthy hop bitterness and lingering bready grain. The 41 IBU bitterness fades cleanly without excessive dryness, inviting another sip.

How to Drink Pop-Up IPA

Serve cold at 40–45°F, poured into a pint glass or shaker to release the floral hop aromatics. Its session-strength ABV rewards relaxed, extended drinking.

In a Radler, Pop-Up's herbal hop character pairs naturally with fresh lemonade for a citrus-driven warm-weather drink. A Shandy made with ginger beer plays off the bready malt and adds spice. For a Beer Michelada, the earthy hop notes complement tomato juice, lime, and hot sauce without overwhelming the mix.

Best For

• All-day backyard cookouts where a full-strength IPA would be too heavy
• Introducing hop-curious friends to IPA flavor at an approachable ABV
• Pairing with grilled burgers, sausages, and other casual fare
• Stocking a reliable session beer for game-day or tailgate drinking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Pop-Up IPA taste like? Pop-Up IPA leads with bready, toasty malt character and follows with herbal hop flavors of mint, orange blossom, and honeydew melon, finishing with a clean earthy bitterness.

How does Pop-Up IPA compare to Boulevard Single-Wide IPA? Single-Wide IPA is a full-strength American IPA with higher ABV and more aggressive hop bitterness, while Pop-Up was designed as the lighter, session-strength sibling at 4.2% ABV. Both share Boulevard's hop-forward philosophy, but Pop-Up emphasizes malt balance and drinkability over raw hop intensity.

Is Pop-Up IPA good for beginners? Its lower 4.2% ABV and prominent malt backbone make it one of the more approachable session IPAs, well-suited for drinkers exploring hop-forward styles without jumping into high-bitterness territory.

Where is Pop-Up IPA made? Pop-Up IPA was brewed at Boulevard Brewing Co. in Kansas City, Missouri, one of the Midwest's largest and longest-running craft breweries, founded in 1989.

What foods pair well with Pop-Up IPA? Grilled chicken or pork benefit from the beer's herbal hop notes. Fish tacos with citrus slaw mirror its lemon and melon character. Aged cheddar complements the bready malt. A garden salad with herb vinaigrette echoes the mint and marjoram hop flavors. Light curry dishes work well against the clean, moderate bitterness.

What sizes does Pop-Up IPA come in? Pop-Up Session IPA was available in 6-packs of 12 oz containers, the standard format for Boulevard's year-round and seasonal offerings.

Is Pop-Up IPA worth the price? Pop-Up positioned as a standard-priced craft session IPA 6-pack, offering solid hop complexity and drinkability at its tier. Because Boulevard has discontinued this beer, remaining stock carries added scarcity value for fans of the style.

Why Pop-Up IPA?

What separated Pop-Up from the crowded session IPA field was its whirlpool hop stand technique, which pulled layered aromatics from five hop varieties without tipping the bitterness past 41 IBU. The Maris Otter and amber malt base gave it a genuine bready weight that most sub-4.5% IPAs lack—Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine's BJCP panel scored it 82, and RateBeer rated it 91, both noting the malt-hop interplay. Now retired from Boulevard's lineup, Pop-Up remains a snapshot of the Kansas City brewery's range during the session IPA boom, and any remaining stock represents a chance to taste a well-constructed recipe that prioritized balance over brute-force hops.