Pipeworks Humongous Friend 4Pk

Pipeworks Humongous Friend 4PK is a hazy pale ale from Chicago's Pipeworks Brewing Company, sold as a four-pack and brewed in collaboration with Seven Islands brewery. This citrus-loaded hop bomb layers blood orange, mandarin, and tangerine over a cryo hop base, earning a 3.9 out of 5 rating on Untappd across 275-plus reviews.

Quick Facts: Style: New England / Hazy Pale Ale  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Brewery: Pipeworks Brewing Company  |  Collaboration: Seven Islands  |  Format: 4-Pack

Production & Heritage

Pipeworks Brewing Company was founded in Chicago and quickly gained national attention, earning RateBeer's "Best New Brewery" distinction in 2012. The brewery built its reputation on experimental, bold recipes, and Humongous Friendship exemplifies that approach — a collaboration with Seven Islands brewery that pushes the hazy pale ale style into aggressively citrus territory. The brew incorporates blood orange, mandarin, and tangerine alongside cryo hops, a concentrated lupulin pellet technology that delivers intense hop aromatics with reduced vegetal bitterness.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Bright citrus peel leads immediately, with waves of tangerine and blood orange zest dominating the nose. Underneath, cryo hop resin adds a layer of tropical fruit and soft pine.

Taste: The palate opens with juicy mandarin sweetness that quickly shifts into tangy blood orange at mid-palate. Cryo hops contribute tropical and stone fruit flavors without aggressive bitterness, keeping the body soft and approachable through a pillowy, haze-forward mouthfeel.

Finish: The finish is moderate in length with lingering orange zest and a light, clean bitterness. A faint wheat-like softness rounds out the close, inviting another sip.

How to Drink Humongous Friendship

Pour into a tulip glass or wide-mouth pint at around 40–45°F to let the citrus aromatics open fully. This hazy pale ale is best enjoyed fresh and cold straight from the can or glass. For a shandy-style riff, combine with a splash of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and a pinch of sea salt for a warm-weather sipper. It also works well as the beer component in a Michelada, where the tangerine and blood orange complement lime and hot sauce. A Beermosa — substituting this for a standard lager alongside fresh orange juice — leans into its natural citrus character at brunch.

Best For

• Weekend cookouts where a refreshing, citrus-forward beer pairs naturally with grilled food
• Sharing with craft beer fans who appreciate hazy pale ales and collaboration brews
• Introducing hop-curious drinkers to the New England pale ale style without overwhelming bitterness
• Building a tasting flight of Chicago-brewed hazy ales

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Humongous Friendship taste like? Humongous Friendship delivers prominent blood orange, mandarin, and tangerine citrus flavors layered over a soft, hazy pale ale body with restrained bitterness from cryo hops.

How does Humongous Friendship compare to other Pipeworks hazy beers? While Pipeworks produces numerous hop-forward styles, Humongous Friendship stands apart through its triple-citrus fruit additions and its collaborative recipe with Seven Islands, giving it a more pronounced fresh-fruit character than many of the brewery's single-hop or standard hazy offerings.

Is Humongous Friendship good for craft beer beginners? Yes — the hazy pale ale style is lower in bitterness than traditional IPAs, and the citrus additions make this an approachable entry point for drinkers exploring craft beer beyond mainstream lagers.

Where is Humongous Friendship made? Humongous Friendship is brewed by Pipeworks Brewing Company in Chicago, Illinois, in collaboration with Seven Islands brewery.

What foods pair well with Humongous Friendship? Grilled shrimp tacos complement its citrus notes; a summer salad with mandarin segments and goat cheese mirrors the fruit profile; spicy Thai green curry balances sweetly against the haze; fish and chips benefit from the beer's soft bitterness cutting through the fried coating; and fresh ceviche shares a natural affinity with its blood orange character.

What sizes does Humongous Friendship come in? Humongous Friendship is available as a four-pack of cans, the standard retail format for this release.

Is Humongous Friendship worth the price? Humongous Friendship positions within the mid-range craft four-pack tier, and the collaboration pedigree, triple-citrus additions, and cryo hop technology deliver complexity that justifies its place among premium hazy pale ales.

Why Humongous Friendship?

The collaboration between Pipeworks and Seven Islands brings two brewing perspectives to a single recipe, resulting in a hazy pale ale that goes well beyond standard citrus additions. The use of cryo hops — concentrated lupulin pellets stripped of plant matter — provides aromatic intensity rarely found in pale ales below the IPA threshold. Pipeworks' track record as RateBeer's 2012 Best New Brewery and a consistent 3.9 rating on Untappd for this specific release signal reliable quality. For drinkers seeking a citrus-drenched, low-bitterness hazy ale from one of Chicago's most inventive breweries, this four-pack delivers.