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.
Currently leading the ranking: Pietra IPA (Brasserie Pietra), Perle DIPA (Brasserie Perle) and Regard Complice (Fauve Craft Bière).
How this ranking works
The hopIQ Score judges every beer against its style first: it rewards medals from competitions that judge within style categories and deducts points where a beer measurably deviates from its style reference. Community ratings add to that. Non-alcoholic excluded. No paid placement — order follows the data alone. Ranking spans 23 beers from 18 breweries.
Top 5 of 23
ABV
6.0%
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.
ABV
8.5%
Bitterness
Very bitter
Colour
amber 10
Perle's most ambitious beer — a Double IPA with intense resinous and tropical fruit character. Suave and oily on the palate with waves of exotic fruit before a long, drying bitter finish. 1,174+ Untappd ratings. Proof that Alsace's craft…Perle's most ambitious beer — a Double IPA with intense resinous and tropical fruit character. Suave and oily on the palate with waves of exotic fruit before a long, drying bitter finish. 1,174+ Untappd ratings. Proof that Alsace's craft scene can match any in France.
ABV
8.5%
Bitterness
Very bitter
Colour
golden 7
Fauve's Imperial New England IPA — the showpiece of their hop-forward range. Hazy, juicy, and intensely tropical with double dry-hopping. A bold statement from one of France's most ambitious craft breweries, designed for those who want…Fauve's Imperial New England IPA — the showpiece of their hop-forward range. Hazy, juicy, and intensely tropical with double dry-hopping. A bold statement from one of France's most ambitious craft breweries, designed for those who want beer as an experience, not just a drink.
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ABV
6.0%
Bitterness
Strongly bitter
Colour
amber 9
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.
5
ABV
5.2%
Bitterness
Strongly bitter
Colour
golden 6
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.
Ranks 6–10
6
La Filature's rotating hop showcase — citrus and tropical forward with resinous pine notes and a clean bitter finish. Brewed on-site in the former Cosserat factory, it represents the ambition of Amiens' most celebrated craft brewpub to go…La Filature's rotating hop showcase — citrus and tropical forward with resinous pine notes and a clean bitter finish. Brewed on-site in the former Cosserat factory, it represents the ambition of Amiens' most celebrated craft brewpub to go beyond the classic French beer styles.
7
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.
8
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 on fit to the IPA reference, award history in style-judged competitions and community ratings.
9
La Perle Toulousaine's hop-forward IPA, generously loaded with American hops. Assertive bitterness with citrus and tropical fruit aromas — an organic IPA that punches well above its regional profile. Ranked on fit to the IPA reference, award history in style-judged competitions and community ratings.
10
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 on fit to the IPA reference, award history in style-judged competitions and community ratings.
The taste landscape
Of the 23 top beers, 0 lean malt-forward and 23 lean hop-forward.