Florida doesn’t get enough credit in the craft beer world. The state that gave us year-round beach weather and a reliably chaotic news cycle has also been quietly producing some of the best IPAs in the country since Cigar City Brewing opened in Tampa in 2009.
Jai Alai is their flagship IPA and their thesis statement. Named after the Basque sport that was once a massive draw in Florida, it’s a beer that takes the American IPA template and cranks every dial in the right direction.
Brewery: Cigar City Brewing — Tampa, Florida
Style: American IPA
ABV: 7.5%
IBU: 65
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The pour is golden amber with a thick white head that hangs around. The nose is where it earns its reputation — orange peel, tangerine, a fistful of tropical fruit, and a piney resin note that grounds everything so it doesn’t drift into candy territory. It smells like exactly what a great IPA should smell like.
The taste matches the nose perfectly. Tropical citrus dominates, the malt stays present without being intrusive, and the bitterness is firm but balanced — 65 IBUs that hit cleanly and finish dry. At 7.5% it’s got enough body to feel substantive, but the tropical fruit character keeps it from feeling heavy.
What separates Jai Alai from the crowded IPA field is consistency. This is a beer that tastes like this every single time. In an era of small-batch experimental releases, there’s real craft in making the same great beer year after year at scale.
The Verdict: Top-five American IPAs, full stop. If you see it at a bar and don’t order it, I have questions. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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