Grounded IPA

The beer

Citra shows up before the malt does. Lemongrass, ruby grapefruit, and navel orange arrive together — bright and specific, the hop signature rather than a vague citrus wash. That Citra line is the whole opening move: herbal-citrus lemongrass first, then the grapefruit and orange stacking into something you can name instead of a generic “hoppy” blur.

The palate stays medium-bodied and balanced. Hop character leads over a light bready malt base, and the tropical-citrus profile carries through the mid-palate without turning syrupy or thin. Body sits in that light-to-medium pocket the style wants; modest bitterness keeps the sip upright instead of soft. The malt is there as bread and floor, not as sweetness competing with the hop.

Dry and hoppy on the way out, with a light bitterness that lingers rather than spikes. Cold from the can keeps the lemongrass sharp and the grapefruit clean. It drinks like a West Coast-leaning nonalcoholic IPA that trusts the hop bill — medium frame, hop-led middle, dry exit — and the glass stays on citrus hop from first sniff to the last bitter flick. Lemongrass and grapefruit do the talking; the orange softens the edges; the finish stays dry.