50 Best SMaSH and Single-Hop Beers to Try in 2026
SMaSH means Single Malt and Single Hop: a stripped-back recipe that makes ingredient character impossible to hide. The first seven beers below are true or explicitly SMaSH-built releases. The remaining 43 are clearly labeled single-hop showcases—useful comparisons, but not necessarily single-malt recipes.
Availability changes quickly in this niche. Treat the ranking as a tasting curriculum: start with the strict SMaSH examples, then compare how one hop behaves across pale ale, IPA, double IPA, and saison.
50 Best SMaSH and Single-Hop Beers to Try
The order rewards ingredient clarity, balance, brewing precision, and the ability to teach you something useful about malt or hops. It does not pretend every beer is continuously available—or that every single-hop beer is also single-malt.
Mosaic Promise
Brewed by Founders Brewing Co.
mango, blueberry, citrus, pine, biscuit, and a dry finish
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Mosaic Promise puts Golden Promise malt and Mosaic hops only. Its mango, blueberry, citrus, pine, biscuit, and a dry finish profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with sharp cheddar, tacos, or grilled chicken; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Yellow Rose
Brewed by Lone Pint Brewery
mango, papaya, blueberry, citrus, pine, and pale bread
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Yellow Rose puts a Mosaic-led Texas SMaSH benchmark. Its mango, papaya, blueberry, citrus, pine, and pale bread profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with brisket, carnitas, or pepper jack; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
2XSMASH
Brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company
ripe mango, berry, citrus peel, caramel, and resin
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: 2XSMASH puts single malt and Mosaic at double-IPA strength. Its ripe mango, berry, citrus peel, caramel, and resin profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with barbecue ribs, blue cheese, or spicy wings; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
SMaSH Galaxy Double IPA
Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Co.
passion fruit, peach, citrus, clean grain, and firm bitterness
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: SMaSH Galaxy Double IPA puts Pilsner malt with Galaxy from kettle to dry hop. Its passion fruit, peach, citrus, clean grain, and firm bitterness profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with blackened salmon, curry, or aged gouda; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Smashbomb Atomic IPA
Brewed by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
grapefruit, tropical fruit, pine, biscuit, and resin
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Smashbomb Atomic IPA puts SMaSH thinking pushed into a vivid modern IPA. Its grapefruit, tropical fruit, pine, biscuit, and resin profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with burgers, smoked pork, or spicy noodles; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Smash Original
Brewed by Brasserie C
pear, pepper, flowers, bread, citrus, and a dry close
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Smash Original puts one malt and one hop with Belgian fermentation. Its pear, pepper, flowers, bread, citrus, and a dry close profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with mussels, roast chicken, or chèvre; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Smash Vol. 1
Brewed by Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co.
orange, tropical fruit, fresh bread, herbs, and light resin
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Smash Vol. 1 puts one malt and one hop in a bright pale ale. Its orange, tropical fruit, fresh bread, herbs, and light resin profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with fish tacos, fried chicken, or mature cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Pseudo Sue
Brewed by Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.
mango, grapefruit, lime, pine, and a soft malt floor
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Pseudo Sue puts Citra expressed with remarkable depth and balance. Its mango, grapefruit, lime, pine, and a soft malt floor profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with fried chicken, fish tacos, or sharp cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Zombie Dust
Brewed by 3 Floyds Brewing
orange, mango, pine, caramel, and persistent bitterness
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Zombie Dust puts Citra turned darker, firmer, and more resinous. Its orange, mango, pine, caramel, and persistent bitterness profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with burgers, barbecue, or washed-rind cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Lizard King
Brewed by Pipeworks Brewing Co.
blueberry, mango, citrus, pine, and light cracker malt
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Lizard King puts Mosaic in a soft but saturated pale ale. Its blueberry, mango, citrus, pine, and light cracker malt profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with tacos al pastor, wings, or gouda; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Jarl
Brewed by Fyne Ales
grapefruit, lemon, flowers, pale bread, and a dry finish
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Jarl puts Citra at low strength with brisk drinkability. Its grapefruit, lemon, flowers, pale bread, and a dry finish profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with fish and chips, goat cheese, or grilled prawns; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Citra
Brewed by Oakham Ales
lime, grapefruit, passion fruit, biscuit, and dry bitterness
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Citra puts a pioneering British showcase for Citra. Its lime, grapefruit, passion fruit, biscuit, and dry bitterness profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with fish pie, curry, or crumbly cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Citra Pale Ale
Brewed by The Kernel Brewery
grapefruit, lime, mango, white bread, and clean bitterness
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Citra Pale Ale puts minimalist brewing that leaves Citra exposed. Its grapefruit, lime, mango, white bread, and clean bitterness profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with falafel, roast chicken, or citrus salad; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Mosaic Pale Ale
Brewed by The Kernel Brewery
blueberry, mango, tangerine, herbs, and pale malt
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Mosaic Pale Ale puts Mosaic shown without a crowded hop bill. Its blueberry, mango, tangerine, herbs, and pale malt profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with lamb kebabs, tacos, or aged cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale
Brewed by The Kernel Brewery
white grape, gooseberry, lime, herbs, and dry grain
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale puts Nelson Sauvin in a lean English pale ale. Its white grape, gooseberry, lime, herbs, and dry grain profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with oysters, chèvre, or grilled asparagus; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Simcoe Pale Ale
Brewed by The Kernel Brewery
apricot, grapefruit, pine, herbs, and light biscuit
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Simcoe Pale Ale puts Simcoe split between fruit, pine, and earth. Its apricot, grapefruit, pine, herbs, and light biscuit profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with roast pork, mushrooms, or smoked cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Amarillo Pale Ale
Brewed by The Kernel Brewery
orange, peach, flowers, grapefruit, and pale bread
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Amarillo Pale Ale puts Amarillo in a dry and uncluttered frame. Its orange, peach, flowers, grapefruit, and pale bread profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with grilled shrimp, chicken, or mild cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Cascade Pale Ale
Brewed by The Kernel Brewery
grapefruit, flowers, pine, lemon, and cracker malt
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Cascade Pale Ale puts classic Cascade with modern British precision. Its grapefruit, flowers, pine, lemon, and cracker malt profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with fish tacos, pizza, or grilled vegetables; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Single Hop Citra IPA
Brewed by Mikkeller
mango, lime, grapefruit, resin, and light caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Single Hop Citra IPA puts Citra measured in a repeatable IPA platform. Its mango, lime, grapefruit, resin, and light caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with hot wings, tacos, or blue cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Single Hop Simcoe IPA
Brewed by Mikkeller
pine, apricot, grapefruit, earth, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Single Hop Simcoe IPA puts Simcoe isolated in the same comparative recipe. Its pine, apricot, grapefruit, earth, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with smoked pork, burgers, or gouda; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Single Hop Nelson Sauvin IPA
Brewed by Mikkeller
white grape, gooseberry, lime, herbs, and clean malt
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Single Hop Nelson Sauvin IPA puts Nelson Sauvin set against a familiar IPA base. Its white grape, gooseberry, lime, herbs, and clean malt profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with oysters, grilled fish, or goat cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Single Hop Sorachi Ace IPA
Brewed by Mikkeller
lemon peel, dill, coconut, herbs, and pale caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Single Hop Sorachi Ace IPA puts Sorachi Ace showing its unmistakable edge. Its lemon peel, dill, coconut, herbs, and pale caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with sushi, grilled salmon, or cucumber salad; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Single Hop Amarillo IPA
Brewed by Mikkeller
orange, apricot, flowers, grapefruit, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Single Hop Amarillo IPA puts Amarillo centered in a comparative IPA. Its orange, apricot, flowers, grapefruit, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with carnitas, grilled chicken, or cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Single Hop Cascade IPA
Brewed by Mikkeller
grapefruit, flowers, pine, lemon, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Single Hop Cascade IPA puts Cascade read through a firmer IPA structure. Its grapefruit, flowers, pine, lemon, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with pizza, burgers, or roast chicken; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Single Hop Centennial IPA
Brewed by Mikkeller
lemon, grapefruit, flowers, pine, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Single Hop Centennial IPA puts Centennial balancing citrus, flowers, and resin. Its lemon, grapefruit, flowers, pine, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with barbecue chicken, nachos, or sharp cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
IPA Is Dead Citra
Brewed by BrewDog
mango, lime, grapefruit, resin, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: IPA Is Dead Citra puts Citra in BrewDog’s single-hop comparison series. Its mango, lime, grapefruit, resin, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with tacos, curry, or blue cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
IPA Is Dead Simcoe
Brewed by BrewDog
pine, apricot, grapefruit, earth, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: IPA Is Dead Simcoe puts Simcoe in a controlled comparative IPA. Its pine, apricot, grapefruit, earth, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with burgers, smoked pork, or gouda; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
IPA Is Dead Nelson Sauvin
Brewed by BrewDog
white grape, gooseberry, lime, herbs, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: IPA Is Dead Nelson Sauvin puts Nelson Sauvin with malt variables held steady. Its white grape, gooseberry, lime, herbs, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with oysters, roast chicken, or chèvre; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
IPA Is Dead Chinook
Brewed by BrewDog
grapefruit, pine, pepper, herbs, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: IPA Is Dead Chinook puts Chinook displaying spice, pine, and dark citrus. Its grapefruit, pine, pepper, herbs, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with barbecue ribs, chili, or smoked cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
IPA Is Dead Sorachi Ace
Brewed by BrewDog
lemon, dill, coconut, herbs, and light caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: IPA Is Dead Sorachi Ace puts Sorachi Ace at full IPA intensity. Its lemon, dill, coconut, herbs, and light caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with salmon, sushi, or coconut curry; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
IPA Is Dead Ella
Brewed by BrewDog
apricot, flowers, grapefruit, spice, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: IPA Is Dead Ella puts Ella’s floral fruit over a fixed IPA base. Its apricot, flowers, grapefruit, spice, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with grilled chicken, curry, or soft cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
IPA Is Dead Mandarina Bavaria
Brewed by BrewDog
tangerine, lemon, flowers, herbs, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: IPA Is Dead Mandarina Bavaria puts German mandarin character in an IPA frame. Its tangerine, lemon, flowers, herbs, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with bratwurst, roast chicken, or alpine cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
IPA Is Dead HBC 366
Brewed by BrewDog
pineapple, citrus, herbs, resin, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: IPA Is Dead HBC 366 puts an experimental hop captured before renaming. Its pineapple, citrus, herbs, resin, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with spicy pizza, tacos, or sharp cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
IPA Is Dead Goldings
Brewed by BrewDog
earth, honey, flowers, herbs, and biscuit
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: IPA Is Dead Goldings puts English Goldings given unusual solo billing. Its earth, honey, flowers, herbs, and biscuit profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with roast chicken, pork pie, or mature cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
IPA Is Dead Comet
Brewed by BrewDog
grapefruit, lemongrass, herbs, resin, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: IPA Is Dead Comet puts Comet’s wild citrus and herb character isolated. Its grapefruit, lemongrass, herbs, resin, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with barbecue chicken, nachos, or gouda; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Jack Brand Mosaic Pale Ale
Brewed by Adnams
mango, blueberry, citrus, herbs, and pale biscuit
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Jack Brand Mosaic Pale Ale puts Mosaic made bright and pub-friendly. Its mango, blueberry, citrus, herbs, and pale biscuit profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with fish and chips, curry, or cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
All Citra Everything
Brewed by Other Half Brewing
mango, orange, lime, resin, and soft grain
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: All Citra Everything puts Citra saturated without losing its identity. Its mango, orange, lime, resin, and soft grain profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with spicy fried chicken, tacos, or blue cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Eureka!
Brewed by Tree House Brewing Company
citrus, melon, tropical fruit, herbs, and soft grain
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Eureka! puts a light base revealing expressive American hops. Its citrus, melon, tropical fruit, herbs, and soft grain profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with grilled fish, salads, or fresh chèvre; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Citra Single Hop IPA
Brewed by Eight Degrees Brewing
mango, grapefruit, lime, resin, and biscuit
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Citra Single Hop IPA puts Citra translated through a dry Irish IPA. Its mango, grapefruit, lime, resin, and biscuit profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with curry, burgers, or aged cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Beer Camp Single Hop Cascade IPA
Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
grapefruit, flowers, pine, lemon, and caramel
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Beer Camp Single Hop Cascade IPA puts Cascade traced back to American craft roots. Its grapefruit, flowers, pine, lemon, and caramel profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with pizza, roast chicken, or cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Sorachi Ace
Brewed by Brooklyn Brewery
lemon, dill, coconut, pepper, and dry grain
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Sorachi Ace puts Sorachi Ace transformed by saison fermentation. Its lemon, dill, coconut, pepper, and dry grain profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with sushi, grilled salmon, or chèvre; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
King Sue
Brewed by Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.
mango, orange, pineapple, lime, and soft bitterness
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: King Sue puts Citra amplified into a plush double IPA. Its mango, orange, pineapple, lime, and soft bitterness profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with hot wings, carnitas, or blue cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Two Hearted Ale
Brewed by Bell’s Brewery
grapefruit, flowers, pine, caramel, and clean bitterness
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Two Hearted Ale puts Centennial across the kettle and dry hop. Its grapefruit, flowers, pine, caramel, and clean bitterness profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with burgers, barbecue, or sharp cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Nelson IPA
Brewed by Alpine Beer Company
white grape, gooseberry, citrus, resin, and pale malt
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Nelson IPA puts Nelson Sauvin in a dry West Coast IPA. Its white grape, gooseberry, citrus, resin, and pale malt profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with fish tacos, grilled shrimp, or chèvre; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Liberty Ale
Brewed by Anchor Brewing Company
grapefruit, flowers, pine, biscuit, and firm bitterness
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Liberty Ale puts whole-cone Cascade in a foundational dry-hopped ale. Its grapefruit, flowers, pine, biscuit, and firm bitterness profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with roast chicken, pizza, or cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Stereo Mono Mosaic
Brewed by To Øl
blueberry, mango, citrus, herbs, and soft grain
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Stereo Mono Mosaic puts Mosaic in a modern dry-hopped comparison series. Its blueberry, mango, citrus, herbs, and soft grain profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with tacos, fried chicken, or gouda; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Single Hop Mosaic
Brewed by Beerbliotek
blueberry, mango, tangerine, pine, and biscuit
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Single Hop Mosaic puts Mosaic presented in a clean Scandinavian IPA. Its blueberry, mango, tangerine, pine, and biscuit profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with lamb kebabs, burgers, or cheddar; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Mosaic Single Hop IPA
Brewed by Temescal Brewing
mango, blueberry, citrus, dank herbs, and pale grain
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Mosaic Single Hop IPA puts Mosaic pushed through a soft modern IPA. Its mango, blueberry, citrus, dank herbs, and pale grain profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with tacos al pastor, wings, or gouda; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Single Hop Project: Nelson Sauvin
Brewed by Fegley’s Brew Works
white grape, gooseberry, lime, peach, and soft grain
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Single Hop Project: Nelson Sauvin puts Nelson Sauvin in a plush hazy base. Its white grape, gooseberry, lime, peach, and soft grain profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with fried chicken, ceviche, or goat cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
Liquid Nelson
Brewed by One Drop Brewing Co.
white grape, passion fruit, lime, resin, and soft malt
BAR NOTES
Why it earns a place: Liquid Nelson puts Nelson Sauvin in a saturated modern DIPA. Its white grape, passion fruit, lime, resin, and soft malt profile makes it a useful reference instead of merely a beer with a single-hop claim.
How to drink it: Pour into a clean tulip or nonic pint and taste it cool, then again as it warms. Pair it with spicy noodles, grilled prawns, or blue cheese; the food makes sweetness, bitterness, and hop aroma easier to separate.
What makes a beer a true SMaSH?
A strict SMaSH recipe uses one malt and one hop variety. The same hop may be added at several points—bittering, flavor, whirlpool, and dry hop—but it remains one variety. Yeast, water chemistry, and process still have enormous influence, so SMaSH does not mean simplistic or automatically easy.
Why brew SMaSH beer?
The format is one of the cleanest ways to learn ingredients. A base malt reveals its bread, toast, honey, cracker, or biscuit character without specialty malts competing for attention. A hop shows its bittering quality and its late-aroma range in the same glass. Repeat the recipe with one variable changed and the lesson becomes even clearer.
Vienna–Simcoe all-grain SMaSH recipe
This practical 5.25-gallon recipe preserves the original Homebrew Academy guide. At about 73% brewhouse efficiency, target an original gravity of 1.052, final gravity of 1.010, roughly 5.5% ABV, and about 39 IBU.
- Malt: 12 lb Vienna malt
- Simcoe at 60 minutes: 0.5 oz
- Simcoe at 15 minutes: 0.5 oz
- Simcoe at flameout: 1 oz
- Yeast: SafAle US-05
Mash near 152°F for 60 minutes, boil for 60 minutes, chill promptly, and ferment in the mid-60s °F according to the yeast maker’s current guidance. The Vienna malt gives a toasty bread center while Simcoe contributes apricot, grapefruit, pine, and resin.
Extract Vienna–Simcoe version
Extract cannot always satisfy the strictest definition because many malt extracts contain more than one malt. It can still deliver the same learning exercise if you use one extract and one hop. Target OG 1.051, FG 1.012, about 5.2% ABV, and roughly 45 IBU.
- Extract: 6 lb Muntons Light dry malt extract
- Simcoe at 60 minutes: 0.5 oz
- Simcoe at 15 minutes: 0.5 oz
- Simcoe at flameout: 1 oz
- Yeast: SafAle US-05
SMaSH beer FAQ
Is every single-hop beer a SMaSH beer?
No. A single-hop beer may use several malts. It becomes a true SMaSH only when the grain bill also contains one malt.
Which malt is best for a first SMaSH?
Choose a flavorful base malt that can convert itself: pale ale malt for neutrality, Vienna for toast and honey, or Munich for deeper bread crust. Keep the gravity moderate so the ingredient remains easy to read.
Which hop is easiest to learn with?
Cascade, Centennial, Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Nelson Sauvin all make expressive studies. Pick one you can buy fresh, then record aroma, flavor, bitterness quality, and how the beer changes as it warms.
Turn one ingredient into your next experiment
Compare hop-forward classics, then use the preserved Vienna–Simcoe recipe as the control batch for your own ingredient trials.
DRINK DEEPER
better beer.
