When a head-bangin’ rock band collaborates with a hop-slingin’ craft brewery to make an IPA, two worlds converge. Rock stars are often huge beer geeks, and brewers leap at the chance to get their favorite bands involved in the beer-making process.

Plus, fans go nuts at the chance to taste a beer made with ingredients chosen by their favorite musicians. Whether it’s a hazy New England IPA, or a crisp West Coast IPA, brewery-band collabs offer fans of both realms something unique. An opportunity to engage and interact with their idols in totally new (and deliciously hoppy) ways! 

There’s nothing quite like putting on your favorite band’s album and cracking into an IPA they helped make. Here are Five Fan-Favorite IPA Collaborations that prove it. 

1. Georgetown Brewing Company with Pearl Jam — The Home Shows — Pale Ale

This one-off collaboration comes first on our list because it was more than a showstopper. 

It nearly caused a riot among Seattle beer fans. Georgetown hardly cans any of their offerings, and then they canned one that helped raise money for Pearl Jam’s charity concerts. The fear of missing out was just too much for some to handle! 

And, while not technically an IPA, The Home Shows is a worthy addition to this list for two big reasons: 

  1. Georgetown is arguably Seattle’s favorite hop-focused brewery — their beers pour from the city’s taps faster than water. And, Pearl Jam is an iconic grunge rock band AND Grammy award winner, whose songs are still played on the radio today!
  2. It came with serious bragging rights. It was such a limited-edition release, people prayed and begged for their own stash, and if they didn’t get it in time, there was little hope of ever tipping back a can. To this day, the fans (ourselves included) have all fingers crossed hoping Georgetown and Pearl Jam link up for another collab!

2. Elder Pine Brewing & Blending with August Burns Red — Thrill Seeker — New England IPA

For this Hazy IPA, the hop head-bangers at Elder Pine — one of USA Today’s Best New Breweries in the country — collaborated with the famous metalcore band August Burns Red.  

Together, they crafted Thrill Seeker to commemorate the 15-year anniversary of the band’s first full-length album! 

The brewers “very aggressively” hopped this beer with bodacious amounts of Mosaic and Idaho 7, alongside a ton of oats and spelt in the mash. The result is a brew so velvety-soft and stuffed with hopjuice, it tastes like a symbol-smashing, juice-packed citrus daiquiri worthy of being served at the Hollywood Bowl.

This one’s a brand-new, killer hopbomb, crafted by rockstar hopheads, in honor of actual rockstars. And, if the fanfare is any indication, the taste will totally be worth the hype.

3. Belching Beaver Brewery with Deftones — Phantom Bride — American IPA

This amped up West Coast IPA is a moshpit of Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra, and Amarillo Hops, reeled together by San Diego’s Belching Beaver and the legendary metal band, Deftones. Get ready to rock!

Deftones’ frontman Chino Moreno has been a hophead for over twenty years. He hand-picked the hop bill for Phantom Bride to get it drumming with flavors blueberry skin, bright citrus, and floral botanicals, all spun together with a bassy bitter finish.

There was a ton of buzz around this California collaboration when it first dropped in 2016. So, Belching Beaver made it available year round for both the music scene and the beer world to get their fill. Now, this rad IPA is something of a living legend! 

If you’re lucky enough to come by a can, don’t hesitate to pick it up.

4. GoodLife Brewing Company with G. Love — G. Love’s Special Sauce - The Juice — American IPA

The GABF and Best of Craft Beer award winners at GoodLife teamed up with blues-rock recording artist G. Love to create this West Coast IPA.

If you’re not familiar with G. Love, he’s an awesome blues-rock recording artist who plays an annual show at GoodLife’s Bend, Oregon taproom. He’s also an avid homebrewer, and a pretty good one from the sound of it. The dude made his first IPA as a project for his Junior year chemistry class, back in 1990!

GoodLife now brews G. Love’s Special Sauce year round, and it’s always tropically fruity and bright, with a nice punctuation of piney dankness. So, if you happen to be in the Pacific Northwest and see some Special Sauce, make sure to scoop up a few cans!

5. Kings County Brewers Collective with Behemoth — Wolf Ov Siberia — Imperial IPA

The brewers at KCBC are huge metalheads. So, it wasn’t too surprising when they teamed up with Polish death metal band Behemoth to make this hardcore Hazy.

Similar to the way Behemoth pushes the boundaries of metal music into brutal new territories, Wolf Ov Siberia challenges the palates of IPA lovers. 

Rye malt makes it a bit more crisp and drier than other Hazies. And, it bangs with zesty lemon-lime aromas, backed by sharp flavors of ruby red grapefruit, honeydew, and piney evergreen from Citra, Motueka, and Centennial Hops.

It’s got enough hoppy fervor to match that of death metal fans. Unfortunately, it’s been a while since KCBC made a new batch, but you never know — the beer gods and rock deities may bless us again.

We get new IPAs every week at Tavour! Check out our app for the latest brews to satisfy your hoppy cravings.