Southern Tier 2X Juice Jolt 6Pk

Southern Tier 2X Juice Jolt 6Pk is a 9.5% ABV Imperial Double IPA from Southern Tier Brewing Company, sold as a six-pack of 12 oz cans. What sets this beer apart is an aggressively fruity hop bill paired with a remarkably low 20 IBUs — a near-contradiction in the double IPA category that delivers big tropical flavor with almost no lingering bitterness.

Quick Facts: ABV: 9.5%  |  Origin: Lakewood, New York, USA  |  Style: Imperial Double IPA  |  Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company  |  IBU: 20

Production & Heritage

Southern Tier Brewing Company, founded in 2002 in Lakewood, New York, has built a reputation for bold, boundary-pushing beers across its extensive lineup. 2X Juice Jolt is brewed with a base of 2-row pale malt and oats, the latter contributing a pillowy, full body that supports the beer's fruit-forward character. The hop bill reads like a greatest-hits roster of New World varieties — Mosaic, Citra, Idaho 7, Simcoe, HBC 630, Amarillo, and CTZ — yet the beer lands at just 20 IBUs, indicating heavy late-addition and dry-hop techniques designed to extract aroma and flavor rather than bitterness. A brewer-selected blend of natural fruit flavors rounds out the profile, pushing Juice Jolt firmly into juice-bomb territory.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Bright orange and tangerine dominate the nose immediately, followed by layers of mango and tropical fruit punch. A faint sweetness reminiscent of candy rounds out the bouquet.

Taste: The entry is strikingly sweet and citrus-driven, with orange juice and tangerine notes hitting first. At mid-palate, mango, pineapple, and apricot emerge alongside a subtle cherry undercurrent, creating a dense, layered fruit profile. The mouthfeel is full and slightly sticky from the oat-heavy malt bill, with the 9.5% ABV well-hidden beneath all that fruit.

Finish: The finish is moderately short and sweet, with residual citrus-hop flavor tapering off cleanly. Bitterness is virtually absent, leaving behind a candied tropical impression that invites the next sip.

How to Drink 2X Juice Jolt

Serve cold — around 40–45°F — straight from the can or poured into a tulip glass to concentrate the aromatic intensity. The fruity, low-bitterness profile makes it unusually versatile for its strength. A Beermosa works well here, as the existing orange character blends seamlessly with fresh juice. Try it in a Shandy-style build with lemonade to extend the refreshment and temper the ABV for warm-weather sessions. It also pairs nicely in a Michelada riff where the tropical sweetness can play against lime, hot sauce, and salt.

Best For

• IPA drinkers who prefer fruit-forward juice bombs over bitter West Coast styles
• Backyard barbecues or outdoor gatherings where a high-ABV sipper with broad appeal is needed
• Introducing hop-averse friends to the double IPA category via a low-bitterness entry point
• Building a craft beer tasting flight exploring the spectrum from hazy to imperial IPA

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 2X Juice Jolt taste like? It tastes like an intensely fruity, sweet beer with prominent orange juice, mango, pineapple, and tangerine flavors, almost no perceptible bitterness, and a full, slightly sticky mouthfeel from the oat-laden malt bill.

How does 2X Juice Jolt compare to Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA? Both target the fruit-forward, high-ABV IPA drinker, but Juice Jolt leans much further into candy-like sweetness and away from bitterness at just 20 IBUs, while Voodoo Ranger Imperial typically retains more traditional hop bite and a somewhat drier finish.

Is 2X Juice Jolt good for beginners? Its extremely low bitterness and juice-like sweetness make it approachable for drinkers who dislike classic IPA flavors, though the 9.5% ABV demands respect — pace accordingly.

Where is 2X Juice Jolt made? It is brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, New York, a craft brewery founded in 2002 in the southwestern corner of the state near Lake Erie.

What foods pair well with 2X Juice Jolt? Spicy jerk chicken benefits from the beer's fruit sweetness as a cooling counterpoint. Fish tacos with mango salsa echo the tropical hop character. A citrus-dressed arugula salad mirrors the orange notes. Coconut shrimp amplifies the tropical theme. Sharp cheddar provides a savory contrast to the beer's sweetness.

What sizes does 2X Juice Jolt come in? The standard format is a six-pack of 12 oz cans; availability in other sizes may vary by market.

Is 2X Juice Jolt worth the price? It positions as a mid-range craft six-pack with a higher-than-average ABV of 9.5%, which delivers strong value per unit of alcohol compared to standard-strength IPAs, particularly for drinkers who prioritize fruit intensity over hop bitterness.

Why 2X Juice Jolt?

The defining tension of this beer is its 20-IBU bitterness sitting inside a double IPA brewed with seven hop varieties — a deliberate engineering choice that prioritizes aroma and flavor extraction over the palate-wrecking bitterness the style historically demands. That approach, combined with oats in the malt bill and a proprietary blend of natural fruit flavors, produces one of the more unabashedly sweet and tropical imperial IPAs on the market. At 9.5% ABV, it carries real weight without tasting hot or boozy. For drinkers who want their hops expressed as juice rather than resin, Juice Jolt delivers exactly what the name promises.