Lagunitas Hazy Memory 4Pk Cans

Lagunitas Hazy Memory 4Pk Cans is a hazy imperial IPA from Lagunitas Brewing Company brewed at 8.0% ABV, sold as a four-pack of cans. Now discontinued by the brewery, Hazy Memory earned an 89 on BeerAdvocate and developed a devoted following among haze enthusiasts before leaving production.

Quick Facts: ABV: 8.0%  |  Origin: Petaluma, California  |  Style: Hazy Imperial IPA  |  Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

Lagunitas Brewing Company was founded in 1993 in Lagunitas, California, before relocating to Petaluma, and is now owned by Heineken International. Hazy Memory was brewed with a grain bill loaded with oats and wheat to achieve its signature unfiltered cloudiness, hopped at a rate of approximately five pounds per barrel using Loral 291, Hallertau Blanc, Galaxy, and Citra varieties. Unlike many beers in the hazy category that lean excessively turbid, Hazy Memory struck a balance — visibly hazy but not muddy — allowing the hop character to remain articulate and the body to stay drinkable for its 8.0% weight class.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Pineapple juice and ripe white peach hit first, followed by mango, passion fruit, and a subtle dried-grass spiciness from the Hallertau Blanc. There is an almost noble-hop quality layered beneath the tropical top notes.

Taste: The entry is soft and juicy with white grape and deep stone fruit — peaches and nectarines especially — before a wave of grapefruit and orange citrus develops at mid-palate. Bitterness is moderate for a Lagunitas release but higher than many standard hazy IPAs, giving the beer real backbone. A key lime tartness surfaces as the beer warms, adding complexity.

Finish: Medium-long with lingering tropical fruit sweetness and a gentle resinous bitterness that keeps the palate clean. The oat-and-wheat body leaves a silky texture without becoming cloying.

How to Drink Hazy Memory

Pour into a tulip glass or wide-mouth pint at around 45°F to let the aromatics open fully; drinking straight from the can mutes much of the hop complexity. A Michelada works surprisingly well with the tropical fruit character meeting lime and hot sauce. Use it as a float in a Beer Margarita for a citrus-forward double IPA twist. A Shandy built with fresh lemonade tempers the 8.0% ABV into a sessionable warm-weather drink.

Best For

• Haze enthusiasts seeking a higher-ABV, hop-forward expression
• Collectors looking for a discontinued Lagunitas limited release
• Weekend cookouts where bold, tropical flavors match grilled food
• Sharing with craft-beer friends who appreciate rare finds

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hazy Memory taste like? Hazy Memory delivers juicy pineapple, white peach, and stone fruit flavors up front, followed by grapefruit citrus and a moderate hoppy bitterness that is higher than most hazy IPAs but softer than a typical West Coast double IPA.

How does Hazy Memory compare to Lagunitas Hazy Wonder? Hazy Wonder sits at a lower 6.0% ABV and is designed as a more approachable, everyday hazy IPA, while Hazy Memory pushes to 8.0% ABV with a denser grain bill and more aggressive hopping rate of roughly five pounds per barrel, resulting in deeper stone-fruit complexity. Hazy Wonder remains in production; Hazy Memory has been discontinued.

Is Hazy Memory good for sipping on its own? Yes — the silky mouthfeel from oats and wheat, combined with layered tropical and citrus notes, makes it well suited to slow sipping from a glass where the aromatics can develop.

Where is Hazy Memory made? Hazy Memory was brewed by Lagunitas Brewing Company at their main production facility in Petaluma, California, a brewery originally founded in the small town of Lagunitas in Marin County in 1993.

What foods pair well with Hazy Memory? Grilled shrimp tacos with mango salsa complement the tropical hop profile. Fish and chips match the beer's moderate bitterness and soft body. Spicy Thai green curry finds balance against the juicy sweetness. A charcuterie board with aged cheddar and stone-fruit preserves echoes the peach and nectarine notes. Citrus-glazed grilled chicken mirrors the grapefruit and orange character.

What sizes does Hazy Memory come in? Hazy Memory was packaged as a four-pack of cans, the standard format Lagunitas used for this release.

Is Hazy Memory worth the price? Hazy Memory positions as a premium hazy double IPA, and its discontinued status has increased its scarcity value; for fans of bold, tropically hopped beers at 8.0% ABV, remaining inventory represents a strong value relative to comparable imperial hazy IPAs from craft breweries.

Why Hazy Memory?

Hazy Memory stood apart in a crowded haze market by combining Lagunitas's aggressive hopping philosophy — roughly five pounds per barrel — with a restrained turbidity that let hop flavor, not yeast haze, drive the experience. The four-hop blend of Loral 291, Hallertau Blanc, Galaxy, and Citra created a layered tropical and spicy profile rarely found in a single beer. With an 89 score on BeerAdvocate and nearly 48,000 ratings on Untappd, the beer proved it could satisfy both hop heads and haze devotees. Now that production has ended, remaining four-packs represent one of the last chances to experience a Lagunitas release that genuinely bridged the gap between West Coast intensity and East Coast haze.