HOPIQ SCORE
The Best French IPAs
23 beers from 18 breweries · Ranked by style authenticity — not marketing
These rankings are dynamic. As more people rate, match and like beers on hopIQ, community signals will increasingly shape the results alongside style authenticity and award recognition.
French craft IPA came late. In a country whose beer identity centres on Bière de Garde, Belgian-adjacent farmhouse ales, and Alsatian lager, the American-style IPA had no obvious home for most of the modern craft era. That began to change in the mid-2010s as Paris-based producers like Fauve Craft Bière, Bordeaux Beer Factory, and the Alsatian Brasserie Perle built dedicated IPA lines. The scene remains smaller than Italy's or Spain's and shows less sub-style diversity — 16 of the 22 French IPAs on this ranking are American IPA, with Session, Double, and Hazy variants each appearing only in single-digit counts.
The hopIQ ranking captures what exists honestly: a real French IPA scene concentrated around Paris and Bordeaux, with regional outliers like Brasserie Pietra on Corsica (whose IPA draws on the same brewery that made bay-leaf beer famous), Le Grizzly in Charente, and La Perle Toulousaine in the south. French IPA in 2026 is real but early — the story is more about producers making their case than about a settled national style.
How this ranking works
The hopIQ Score weights style authenticity (80%), user engagement (10%), notability (10%), and award history. Active, in-production beers only — non-alcoholic excluded. No paid placement — order follows the data alone. Ranking spans 23 beers from 18 breweries.
Top 5 of 23
Bacho IPABest Overall#924 worldwide
ABV
6%
Bitterness
Strongly bitter
Colour
amber 9
An artisanal IPA from the hills above Tourrettes-sur-Loup on the Côte d'Azur — three hops dry-hopped for a fruity nose the brewery keeps deliberately unspecific. Malt d'orge, houblon, levure, nothing else added. Six percent, restrained…An artisanal IPA from the hills above Tourrettes-sur-Loup on the Côte d'Azur — three hops dry-hopped for a fruity nose the brewery keeps deliberately unspecific. Malt d'orge, houblon, levure, nothing else added. Six percent, restrained bitterness, more perfume than punch.
Pietra IPA
ABV
6%
Bitterness
Strongly bitter
Colour
amber 9
Pietra's modern IPA entry — aromatic and floral with tropical fruit notes and an assertive but clean bitterness. Brewed with Corsican barley and Alsace hops, it represents the island's take on the global craft IPA movement while staying…Pietra's modern IPA entry — aromatic and floral with tropical fruit notes and an assertive but clean bitterness. Brewed with Corsican barley and Alsace hops, it represents the island's take on the global craft IPA movement while staying rooted in local ingredients.
Planier Equinox
ABV
5%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Colour
golden 5
Named after the Planier lighthouse island guarding Marseille's bay. A single malt, single hop Session IPA brewed entirely with Equinox hops. Double Gold medalist at France Bière Challenge 2020 — clean, aromatic, and refreshing with…Named after the Planier lighthouse island guarding Marseille's bay. A single malt, single hop Session IPA brewed entirely with Equinox hops. Double Gold medalist at France Bière Challenge 2020 — clean, aromatic, and refreshing with tropical citrus character and a long hoppy finish.
Which of these beers fits your taste?
Build your Beer DNA and see which of these top beers fit your taste — free, in two minutes.
Build my Beer DNA4
BDX Session IPA
ABV
4.5%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Colour
golden 6
Brewed around the Mosaic hop — chosen for its powerful bitterness and exuberant aromas. An accessible, sessionable IPA that bridges the gap between wine drinkers and hop lovers in France's most celebrated wine city. Ranked here for style-fit against the IPA reference and award history in IPA-specific categories.
5
Coreff IPA
ABV
5.6%
Bitterness
Strongly bitter
Colour
golden 6
Created to mark Coreff's 30th anniversary, reviving the historical IPA style that British settlers used for long maritime journeys to the East Indies. A high-fermentation IPA brewed with selected citrus and aromatic hops. Available in…Created to mark Coreff's 30th anniversary, reviving the historical IPA style that British settlers used for long maritime journeys to the East Indies. A high-fermentation IPA brewed with selected citrus and aromatic hops. Available in 25cl, 33cl, and 75cl bottles and 20/30L casks.
Ranks 6–10
6
Metz Coast IPA
Bon Poison's flagship — a West Coast-style IPA named after the Metz coastline (a playful nod for a landlocked city). Rated 3.6 on Untappd with 198 ratings. Brewed with British-inspired technique and a French personality, combining hoppy…Bon Poison's flagship — a West Coast-style IPA named after the Metz coastline (a playful nod for a landlocked city). Rated 3.6 on Untappd with 198 ratings. Brewed with British-inspired technique and a French personality, combining hoppy bitterness with citrus and tropical aromas.
7
Perle IPA
Perle's modern IPA — built on a malty backbone with resinous and tropical aromatic hops. Notes of peach, mandarin, and tropical fruit on a cereal base, finishing dry and refreshing. 5,027+ Untappd ratings, rated 3.6. The IPA that brought…Perle's modern IPA — built on a malty backbone with resinous and tropical aromatic hops. Notes of peach, mandarin, and tropical fruit on a cereal base, finishing dry and refreshing. 5,027+ Untappd ratings, rated 3.6. The IPA that brought Alsatian craft brewing into the modern era.
8
Big Mountain IPA
The flagship and founding beer of Big Mountain Brewing Co. — juicy, tropical, and filled with Simcoe and Centennial hops. The IPA that launched Chamonix's craft beer scene and turned mountain guides into craft beer lovers. 4,391+ Untappd…The flagship and founding beer of Big Mountain Brewing Co. — juicy, tropical, and filled with Simcoe and Centennial hops. The IPA that launched Chamonix's craft beer scene and turned mountain guides into craft beer lovers. 4,391+ Untappd ratings at 3.62. Brewed with clear Alpine mountain water.
9
Maïre
Named after the Île Maïre, a rugged island off the Marseille coastline. A bold rye IPA with a punchy, spicy malt backbone and vibrant American hop character. One of Zoumaï's core flagships and widely considered one of the finest craft…Named after the Île Maïre, a rugged island off the Marseille coastline. A bold rye IPA with a punchy, spicy malt backbone and vibrant American hop character. One of Zoumaï's core flagships and widely considered one of the finest craft beers produced in the south of France.
10
BAPBAP IPA
BAPBAP's flagship IPA — aromatic with Magnum, Summit, and Sorachi Ace hops for a caramel-auburn beer with expressive hop character. The Sorachi Ace adds a distinctive lemon-dill note that makes this IPA unmistakably Parisian in character. Ranked here for style-fit against the IPA reference and award history in IPA-specific categories.
The taste landscape
Of the 23 top beers, 0 lean malt-forward and 23 lean hop-forward.