Sierra Nevada: Just Landed!
For American IPA fans, this is a particularly good arrival.
A fresh selection of Sierra Nevada beer has landed in the UK, imported directly from America and now available through Beerhunter. The latest arrivals include some of the brewery’s best-known hop-forward beers, including Torpedo Extra IPA, Hazy Little Thing, Big Little Thing and Cosmic Little Thing, alongside a wider Sierra Nevada range covering classic IPA, wheat beer, Oktoberfest lager and alcohol-free options.
Sierra Nevada is one of those breweries that helped define what modern American craft beer became. Founded in California in 1980 by Ken Grossman, the brewery built its reputation around bold hop flavour at a time when much of the US beer market was dominated by light lager. Its Pale Ale, brewed with whole-cone Cascade hops, became one of the beers most closely associated with the early American craft beer movement.
If you’ve heard the name but never tried the beer, this guide explains what Sierra Nevada is known for, which beer to try first and where to buy Sierra Nevada in the UK.
Explore the full Sierra Nevada range at Beerhunter
What Is Sierra Nevada Beer?
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was founded in Chico, California, in 1980 by homebrewer Ken Grossman.
The brewery started with equipment Grossman built from repurposed dairy machinery and quickly became known for a much more hop-forward approach than was common in mainstream American beer at the time. The brewery’s Pale Ale helped introduce drinkers to the piney and citrus-heavy character of American hops, particularly Cascade.
Today, Sierra Nevada remains family owned and operates breweries in Chico, California and Mills River, North Carolina.
For IPA drinkers, the important part is simple: Sierra Nevada has spent decades building beers around hops.
That makes the brewery particularly relevant if you like American IPA, West Coast bitterness, citrus, pine, tropical fruit or modern hazy styles.
Why Is Sierra Nevada Important to American Craft Beer?
Sierra Nevada arrived at a point when there were fewer than 100 breweries operating in the United States and most beer production was focused on lighter lager styles. Grossman deliberately pushed in the opposite direction, prioritising whole-cone hops and stronger flavour.
Its flagship Pale Ale became one of the beers that helped popularise intensely aromatic American hops, particularly the combination of citrus and pine that became closely associated with American craft beer.
That influence can still be tasted throughout the Sierra Nevada range today.
Even when the brewery produces a modern hazy IPA, the beers tend to retain a recognisable hop-driven character rather than simply becoming sweet fruit juice in beer form.
Which Sierra Nevada Beers Have Just Landed in the UK?
Four of the beers I’d pay particular attention to are:
- Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
- Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA
- Sierra Nevada Big Little Thing Imperial IPA
- Sierra Nevada Cosmic Little Thing Hazy Double IPA
They cover quite different ends of the IPA spectrum, so the best beer for you depends heavily on what you usually drink.
Beerhunter’s current American beer range also includes Sierra Nevada Atomic Torpedo, Oktoberfest Festbier, Kellerweis, Trail Pass alcohol-free beers and other Sierra Nevada releases.
What Does Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA Taste Like?
If you like classic American IPA, I’d start here.
Torpedo Extra IPA is a 7.2% American IPA built around citrus, pine, resin and a firmer hop bitterness. Sierra Nevada developed its “Hop Torpedo” dry-hopping device specifically to increase hop aroma and flavour without simply pushing bitterness higher.
BeerAdvocate currently scores Torpedo 92/100, with an average rating of 4.15/5 from more than 11,000 ratings. Reviewers repeatedly highlight its pine, citrus, resinous hop character and balance between malt and bitterness.
That makes this the one I’d point classic West Coast IPA drinkers towards first.
Expect:
Pine, grapefruit, citrus, resinous hops and a dry bitter finish.
Best for:
West Coast IPA fans and anyone who prefers bitterness over softness.
Try Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
What Does Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing Taste Like?
If Torpedo represents the more traditional side of American IPA, Hazy Little Thing shows the softer, juicier side.
It’s a 6.7% Hazy IPA, brewed unfiltered so more of the hop oils, flavour and haze remain in the beer.
BeerAdvocate currently rates it 89/100, with drinkers typically describing a combination of juicy citrus, tropical fruit and softer bitterness.
Beerhunter’s current 473ml version is described as having orange, grapefruit, tropical fruit and stone-fruit character with a soft malt body.
Expect:
Orange, grapefruit, tropical fruit, stone fruit and a smoother mouthfeel.
Best for:
Hazy IPA fans and anyone who finds classic West Coast IPA too bitter.
Try Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA
What Does Sierra Nevada Big Little Thing Taste Like?
Despite the name, there’s nothing particularly little about this one.
Big Little Thing is a 9.5% Hazy Imperial IPA, so it steps things up considerably in both strength and flavour.
Sierra Nevada uses Citra, Comet, El Dorado and Mosaic hops, creating prominent orange and citrus character with underlying berry sweetness. BeerAdvocate currently rates it 88/100, with an average around 3.94/5.
The impressive thing is that reviews regularly mention how well the alcohol is hidden beneath the fruit and hop character.
Expect:
Orange, tropical fruit, berry, a fuller body and noticeable richness.
Best for:
Experienced IPA drinkers who want something bigger, stronger and more intense.
Explore Sierra Nevada Big Little Thing on Beerhunter
What Does Sierra Nevada Cosmic Little Thing Taste Like?
Cosmic Little Thing is probably the most intriguing of the new arrivals if you like modern American hazy IPAs.
It’s an 8% Hazy Double IPA brewed with Comet, Eureka, Helios, Simcoe and Strata hops.
Sierra Nevada describes the flavour profile around citrus, berries and lychee, with oats and wheat helping create the smooth, hazy body.
It sits between Hazy Little Thing and Big Little Thing in terms of strength, but has a noticeably more modern fruit-forward profile.
Expect:
Citrus, berry, tropical fruit and lychee with a soft, juicy texture.
Best for:
Hazy IPA drinkers looking for something a little more unusual.
Try Sierra Nevada Cosmic Little Thing
Which Sierra Nevada Beer Should You Try First?
If you’ve never tried Sierra Nevada before, I’d choose based on the IPA style you already enjoy.
| If you usually like… | Try this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Classic West Coast IPA | Torpedo Extra IPA | Piney, citrusy and properly bitter |
| Juicy hazy IPA | Hazy Little Thing | Softer, fruitier and easier drinking |
| Strong Imperial IPA | Big Little Thing | 9.5% ABV with bigger fruit and body |
| Modern Double Hazy IPA | Cosmic Little Thing | Citrus, berries and lychee |
| You’re completely new to Sierra Nevada | Hazy Little Thing | Probably the most approachable starting point |
For someone who already drinks traditional American IPA, Torpedo is probably the most revealing introduction to what Sierra Nevada does well.
For someone coming from modern UK hazy IPAs, Hazy Little Thing is likely the easier first step.
Is Sierra Nevada Torpedo a West Coast IPA?
In flavour terms, absolutely.
Torpedo has the citrus, pine, resinous character and assertive bitterness associated with traditional West Coast IPA.
That style became one of the signatures of American craft brewing during the 1990s and 2000s, before hazier and softer East Coast-inspired IPAs became dominant.
If you’ve become used to modern hazy beers and want to understand what an older-school American IPA tastes like, Torpedo is a very good reference point.
What Is the Difference Between Hazy Little Thing and Big Little Thing?
The biggest differences are strength, body and intensity.
Hazy Little Thing sits at 6.7% ABV and is designed as a juicy, hop-forward Hazy IPA.
Big Little Thing pushes that to 9.5% ABV, giving it considerably more weight and alcohol while retaining a juicy hazy profile.
In simple terms:
Hazy Little Thing = easier drinking and more approachable.
Big Little Thing = richer, stronger and more intense.
What Other Sierra Nevada Beers Are Available in the UK?
The current Beerhunter Sierra Nevada range goes beyond those four IPAs.
Depending on stock, the wider range includes beers such as:
Atomic Torpedo Imperial IPA – a bigger interpretation of the Torpedo idea.
Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Festbier – an American take on German festival lager.
Kellerweis Hefeweizen – a German-style wheat beer.
Trail Pass Golden Ale – an alcohol-free option.
Trail Pass Hazy IPA – a low/no alternative for hop drinkers.
California IPA – a lighter American IPA.
Otra Vez Lime & Blue Agave Sour – a completely different direction if you prefer tart, refreshing beer.
Beerhunter currently lists 14 Sierra Nevada products across its range.
Where Can You Buy Sierra Nevada Beer in the UK?
Beerhunter stocks a dedicated Sierra Nevada UK range, including both established releases and imported American cans that can be much harder to find through typical UK supermarkets.
The latest arrivals have come directly from America, which is particularly appealing for American craft beer fans looking for genuine US releases rather than only the most commonly exported lines.
You can explore the current range here:
Shop Sierra Nevada at Beerhunter
You can also explore Beerhunter’s wider:
Why Are American IPAs Different from UK IPAs?
There’s a lot of overlap today, but traditional American IPA was heavily defined by American hop varieties.
Classic examples often emphasise:
- Grapefruit
- Pine
- Resin
- Citrus peel
- Assertive bitterness
Modern American hazy IPA moves more towards:
- Mango
- Orange
- Pineapple
- Stone fruit
- Berry
- Softer bitterness
The Sierra Nevada range is useful because you can taste both approaches within one brewery.
Torpedo gives you something closer to the classic American West Coast tradition, while Hazy Little Thing and Cosmic Little Thing show how the brewery has adapted to modern hazy IPA styles.
Is Sierra Nevada Beer Worth Trying?
If you enjoy IPA, yes — particularly because Sierra Nevada gives you a useful reference point for how American craft beer developed.
I haven’t personally worked my way through these latest cans yet, so I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
What makes me particularly interested in them is the combination of their reputation among American beer drinkers and the fact these have arrived directly from the US.
Torpedo in particular has maintained a 92 BeerAdvocate score across more than 11,000 ratings, while Hazy Little Thing also holds an 89 score. That level of long-term feedback suggests these aren’t simply beers benefiting from hype around a new release.
For anyone who enjoys American IPA, that makes this arrival well worth exploring.
Sierra Nevada UK: Which One Will You Try First?
Sierra Nevada has been brewing hop-forward American beer for more than four decades, but the current range shows just how broad its approach to IPA has become.
Go Torpedo if you want pine, citrus and proper bitterness.
Choose Hazy Little Thing if you want something softer and juicier.
Step up to Big Little Thing if you want a powerful Imperial IPA.
Or go for Cosmic Little Thing if citrus, berry and lychee sound more like your thing.
Whichever direction you go, these latest American imports offer UK drinkers a chance to explore one of the breweries that helped shape modern craft beer.
