Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing 12Pk

Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing 12Pk is a 12-pack of 12 oz cans of unfiltered New England-style hazy IPA brewed to 6.7% ABV. Ranked as the top-selling hazy IPA in the United States according to 2024 Nielsen data, it also holds an 89/100 on BeerAdvocate from over 1,800 ratings — a strong showing for a nationally distributed craft beer.

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

Production & Heritage

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was founded in 1980 in Chico, California, and has grown into one of America's most influential craft breweries. Hazy Little Thing uses a grain bill of two-row pale malt, Munich malt, oats, and both malted and unmalted wheat — a carefully designed protein-rich foundation that generates stable, smooth haze when it interacts with hop polyphenols. The beer is dry-hopped with colossal volumes of lupulin hop dust from Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic, El Dorado, and Comet hops, fermented at slightly higher temperatures than typical ales to preserve haze compounds, then packaged unfiltered straight from the tanks into cans.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Pulpy orange juice hits first, followed by sugary lemon rind and ripe mango. Underneath, papaya skin and overripe grapefruit round out a distinctly tropical nose.

Taste: The entry is soft and juicy with prominent tangerine and pineapple flavors riding a pillowy wheat-and-oat body. At mid-palate, white peach and herbal tea notes emerge alongside a gentle bitterness that keeps the sweetness in check. The peak brings a rush of stonefruit and soft grapefruit, with enough hop character to remind you this is still an IPA.

Finish: Medium in length with lingering citrus pith and light tropical fruit. The mouthfeel stays smooth and creamy, never drying out or turning astringent.

How to Drink Hazy Little Thing

Pour into a tulip glass or wide-mouth pint to release the aromatic hop oils, or drink directly from the can for a more concentrated citrus burst. Serve cold, ideally between 40–45°F.

• Beer-a-Rita: The juicy citrus profile blends seamlessly with fresh lime juice and a salted rim for a hop-forward spin on the classic.
• IPA Shandy: Mix with fresh lemonade to lean into the natural lemon rind and peach character while dropping the ABV for daytime drinking.
• Michelada: The tropical fruit and soft bitterness stand up well to tomato juice, hot sauce, and lime — a bolder take on the Mexican classic.

Best For

• Stocking the fridge for weekend barbecues and cookouts
• Introducing IPA-curious drinkers to the hazy style
• Bringing a crowd-pleasing craft beer to a house party
• Pairing with spicy or fried foods at game day gatherings

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hazy Little Thing taste like? Hazy Little Thing delivers a big wave of juicy tangerine, pineapple, and white peach with an undercurrent of herbal bitterness, all carried on a soft, creamy body from the oat and wheat grain bill.

How does Hazy Little Thing compare to Voodoo Ranger Haze? Both are nationally distributed hazy IPAs, but Hazy Little Thing leans more heavily into soft tropical juice character with less hop bitterness on the finish, while Voodoo Ranger Haze tends toward a slightly more resinous, pine-forward hop profile. Hazy Little Thing also uses lupulin hop dust rather than whole-cone or pellet additions, contributing to its notably smooth texture.

Is Hazy Little Thing good for beginners? Yes — its low bitterness, juicy fruit-forward flavor, and smooth mouthfeel make it one of the most approachable hazy IPAs available, often recommended as a gateway into the style.

Where is Hazy Little Thing made? Hazy Little Thing is brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. at their flagship brewery in Chico, California, a facility that has been operating since the brewery's founding in 1980.

What foods pair well with Hazy Little Thing? Fish tacos with mango salsa match the tropical hop character. Fried chicken lets the beer's carbonation cut through richness. Thai green curry plays off the citrus and herbal notes. A charcuterie board with aged cheddar contrasts the soft, creamy body. Grilled shrimp with lime complements the natural citrus brightness.

What sizes does Hazy Little Thing come in? Hazy Little Thing is widely available in 12 oz cans sold as 6-packs, 12-packs, and 19.2 oz single stovepipe cans, with seasonal variety packs also appearing in some markets.

Is Hazy Little Thing worth the price? Hazy Little Thing positions as a mid-tier craft beer that consistently outperforms many pricier limited-release hazy IPAs in blind tastings and consumer ratings, making the 12-pack a strong value within the category.

Why Hazy Little Thing?

What separates Hazy Little Thing from the hundreds of hazy IPAs crowding cooler shelves is the combination of Sierra Nevada's 45 years of brewing expertise with a genuinely innovative production approach — lupulin hop dust, higher fermentation temperatures, and zero filtration. The result earned it the number-one position among hazy IPAs in U.S. sales according to 2024 Nielsen data, a distinction built on repeat purchases rather than hype. With an 89/100 on BeerAdvocate and a 3.8/5 across more than 357,000 Untappd ratings, it has the critical backing and consumer consensus to justify its reputation. For a beer that ships nationwide and sits on nearly every shelf, the quality-to-accessibility ratio is genuinely rare in craft brewing.