There’s a certain kind of thrill in a beer that bites back. “Spicy beer” may sound like a contradiction, given some beers’ reputation as a spice extinguisher (high ABV notwithstanding, which sometimes fuels the flames). But consider the cooling embrace of an effervescent pale ale with a fiery Indian curry, a Pilsner with a simmering Korean soondubu or Nashville fried chicken, or a refreshing lager alongside a bubbling hot seafood boil or hot pot.
Milk may be the more effective antidote to spice since capsaicin is more soluble in fat than water, but for many, grabbing an ice-cold pint is a near-Pavlovian reflex. Spicy beers take that instinct a step further—playing both sides by cooling the heat while amplifying it, a maximalist approach that reins in the burn just enough to let it shine.
Laced with fresh chiles, hot sauce, powdered peppers, or even a whisper of wasabi, spice-laden beers are not just a gimmick but rather a flex of a brewer’s balance and restraint. The best ones don’t just burn for the sake of it. They build, linger, and transform. In a sea of taprooms saturated with hazy IPAs and lip-puckering sours, spice feels almost radical: an antidote to sweetness and a rebuttal to predictability. Here are some of our top picks.
A Michelada-Inspired Ale
Grimm Artisanal Ales: No Hands Now, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Lauren and Joe Grimm started Grimm Artisanal Ales back in 2013 out of their Brooklyn apartment kitchen, testing out small-batch recipes with local grains. In 2019, the couple introduced No Hands Now, a low-ABV sour ale loosely inspired by a Michelada. “The name sort of evokes the decision to do a weird trick which might be fun or fail disastrously,” Lauren said.
Even before you take a sip of No Hands Now, the illustration on the label catches your eye: Two men in matching jumpsuits ride a tandem bike with their hands up as if to say, “Look ma, no hands!” With chipotle chiles, lime, and sea salt, this small-batch beer offers a smoky chile aroma, a hint of cedar wood, and the bright zing of fresh lime.
Lauren explained that the beer begins with fermentation in their oak foeder, where many of their wild ales go to build up tartness and complexity from resident microbes that live in the wood. When the beer is “ready,” it gets steeped in ancho and chipotle chiles and lime juice. Finally, the beer gets a dry-hop with lime-accented Motueka hops and a bit of sea salt. The ale pairs well with a range of dishes, including Korean fried chicken, ceviche, elote, barbecue, and even a sharp cheddar grilled cheese. A tajin rim is optional but encouraged.
If you like the tamed heat and citrus-forward flavors of No Hands Now, you might also enjoy 4 Noses Michelada Caliente, made in collaboration with The Real Dill pickle company, heady with serrano and habanero peppers, pickle brine, and Bloody Mary mix.
More Mild Than Wild
Birdsong Jalapeño Pale Ale, Charlotte, N.C.
Tara and Chris Goulet started the Charlotte, N.C.-based Birdsong Brewing Co. in 2010, when Conor Robinson, a co-worker at the bakery Tara worked at, began brewing beer. Soon after, the Goulets got working on Birdsong. When they first opened the taproom, they tinkered with infusing a handful of fresh cut jalapeños into their American pale ale since the malty notes of the APA worked better to offset the heat compared to IPAs—and Jalapeño Pale Ale was born. Their customers loved it, so the Goulets cracked down on making the beer at production scale.
“We just kind of winged [preparing it on a mass scale]…it turned out that it wasn’t so much figuring out the volume of peppers as it was the contact time for the peppers in the liquid,” Tara said. From June through November, which is jalapeño season, Birdsong purchases the peppers from a North Carolina farm. In 2024, the brewery used 400 pounds of locally grown jalapeños.
While 40 pounds of jalapeños go into each batch, a blend of Columbus, Galena, Fuggle, and Willamette hops lends some sweetness and a clean, fruity finish. Jalapeños are hotter than anchos, or dried poblano chiles, but since this brew calls for removing the seeds, the result is relatively mild, and its aroma brings a bag of jalapeño chips to mind. Birdsong recommends pairing the ale with shrimp tacos, raw oysters, or a giant soft pretzel with beer cheese. Bonus points if you also put the ale in the beer cheese.
For something with a more pronounced jalapeño kick, try Aviator’s Crackpot Kick Jalapeño Pilsner, a Bohemian-style, full-bodied Pils with more seeds and heat.
Hatching New Levels of Heat
Malibu Brewing Hatch Chile Lager, Malibu, Calif.
Malibu Brewing’s Hatch Chile Lager began, as all the best ideas do, as a gift. Co-owner Jill Ahrens wanted to surprise Ryan Ahrens, her husband and the CEO of Malibu Brewing, with something personal for his birthday in 2022—a beer that nodded to his New Mexico roots, where Hatch green chiles are a sacred treasure.
The brew team got to work, experimenting with the smoky, earthy heat of the peppers, and soon, Hatch became a taproom favorite. Over the years, the recipe evolved, picking up nuance and depth, and last year, Hatch Green Chile Lager took home gold at the Brewers Cup of California in the Chili Beer category (separate from the Herb and Spice Beer category, which features spiced rather than spicy beers; think oatmeal raisin cookies and black pepper with peaches), beating out Clandestine Brewing’s Thunder Ball and Two Ravens Brewery’s Smok’N Hot Blonde.
Hatch Green Chile Lager starts with Malibu’s Sand & Sea Mexican-Style Lager, a crisp, clean base, and then freshly roasted and peeled Hatch chiles join the party. A blend of hot and mild peppers lends savory and vegetal notes that allow the beer to shine without overwhelming the drinker. In the Malibu taproom, Hatch is the foundation for some of their beer cocktails, from a Spicy Ginger Mule to a Pineapple Brewrita.
“It’s a unique and versatile beer,” Jill said. “It tastes great on draught and even better with a juicy smashburger.” Unsurprisingly, Hatch Green Chile Lager also enhances the flavor of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes and goes well with anything with corn: think popcorn, corn nuts, cornbread, and even corn dogs.
A Slow Burn
Country Boy Brewing Nacho Bait Habanero Blonde, Lexington, Ky.
In 2013, a plumber accidentally wiped his face with a rag that Nathan Coppage, one of the founders at Country Boy Brewing, had used to dry the knife he’d used to chop 10 pounds of habaneros for the Nacho Bait Habanero Blonde Ale. “That is my favorite memory of Nacho Bait,” Coppage said. “I noticed a hole in my latex gloves… no sooner than I had grabbed another pair, the plumber came running and yelled, ‘What kind of chemical was on the rag? Is my face melting off?!’” Coppage continued, “It still burned like hell, I’m sure—but he knew he wasn’t going to lose any skin.”
Founded in 2012 by four Kentuckians, Country Boy Brewing keeps it simple with a focus on real ingredients without the bells and whistles. With their new Georgetown facility—the state’s largest brewery—even more of their lineup is hitting taprooms and shelves, including Nacho Bait. Like Malibu and Birdsong Brewing, Country Boy uses a core beer in its lineup—Cougar Bait, the brewery’s blonde ale—as the base.
“The habanero addition made the beer taste like ballpark nachos from our youth,” explained Evan Coppage, another co-owner and head of brewery operations. Nacho Bait, first brewed in 2013, is among the hotter beers on this list, but the hint of peach and mango balances out the serranos’ heat. A sweet, stone-fruit flavor coats the tongue before tingling in the back of your throat.
“We had [habanero] peppers from our home garden that were so hot no one could eat them. One of our owners decided to make a beer with them,” said Pete Weiss, marketing director at Country Boy Brewing.
“The funny thing about this beer is the spice level varies depending on the time of year,” he added. “In the summer, we use fresh habanero peppers, and in the winter, we have to use store-bought peppers—the summer homegrown peppers are always a bit more spicy.” But to keep a steady fruitiness, the brewery consistently uses 10 pounds per 10-pound barrel. The brewery’s only other annual spicy brew is Jalapeño Smoked Porter, made with jalapeño peppers and heavily smoked malt.
Weiss recommends pairing the beer with non-spicy foods such as French fries, fried mozzarella sticks, and cheese pizza, while its fruity components complement meat such as duck and pork.
Sweet Heat
Bell’s Brewery Mango Habanero Oberon, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Larry Bell founded Bell’s Brewery in 1985 in Kalamazoo, initially opening a homebrew shop where the first batch was brewed in a 15-gallon soup kettle. Bell’s later grew into a commercial brewery, and in 2021, it ranked as the sixth-largest craft brewery in the U.S. and Michigan’s largest independently owned brewery. But by the end of that year, Bell sold the company to Lion, a subsidiary of the Japanese Kirin beverage group.
Bell’s signature Oberon wheat ale debuted in 1992, and the company debuted Mango Habanero Oberon in 2020, which has since become the most frequently requested beer among Bell’s fans. This sweet-spicy wheat ale includes fresh mango puree, giving it a hazy orange hue and a slight floral taste punctuated with habanero powder.
“This beer has certainly taken on almost cult status,” said Michaela Eagan, public relations manager at New Belgium Brewing and Bell’s Brewery. “It’s largely made in small volumes and available at our pub, Bell’s Eccentric Café, which probably adds to the lore.” This mango-forward ale complements a plethora of South Asian dishes made with amchur, or unripe mango powder, along with zesty Thai, Cambodian, and Laotian fare such as green mango and papaya salads.
Festive, spiced beers have been around since the 80s, but truly spicy brews have carved out a following over the past decade. Across the country, breweries are turning up the Scovilles with contests such as the Carolina Reaper-laced Signal One Challenge at Maltese Brewing Co., a nanobrewery fittingly owned and operated by firefighters in Fredericksburg, Va.; and the Deal With the Devil Challenge at Burning Barrel Brewing Co. in Rancho Cordova, Calif., with both vying for the title of world’s hottest beer and exuding pure Hot Ones energy, glass of milk included.
For those chasing even more heat, we suggest Habanero Sculpin IPA (Ballast Point) and Ghost Face Killah (Twisted Pine Brewing), or kicking up your beer chili or beer can chicken a notch with spicy brews for a full circle (of hell) moment. No matter which state you’re in, odds are there’s a beer hothead nearby—and a flaming pint to match.
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