Pliny the Elder — Russian River Brewing

The double IPA that started the hop wars. Vinnie Cilurzo brewed the first batch in 2000, and it became the most sought-after beer in America — a perfectly balanced 8% ABV hop bomb that somehow stays drinkable. Pliny proved you could pack a beer with hops without making it taste like chewing on a pine tree. Every hazy IPA owes it a debt.