Beer culture moves fast. Too fast, honestly. One day everyone is obsessed with pastry stouts that taste like liquid birthday cake, and the next, we’re all supposed to be drinking clear, crisp lagers again. But in the middle of all that noise, Hazy Like a Fox just... stays. It’s consistent. It’s one of those beers that actually lived up to the massive hype of the New England IPA (NEIPA) explosion without becoming a parody of itself.
Most people think "hazy" just means the beer looks like orange juice. That’s a mistake. If a brewer doesn't know what they're doing, that cloudiness is just suspended yeast or proteins that’ll give you a massive headache. New Realm Brewing Company, the folks behind this specific Fox, actually figured out the science of "biotransformation." That’s a fancy way of saying they timing their hop additions so the oils react with the yeast to create those massive tropical flavors instead of just biting bitterness.
It’s a New England IPA, but it’s brewed in the South—specifically Atlanta and Virginia Beach. That’s a weird bit of geography for a "New England" style, but hey, the beer doesn't care about borders.
What's actually inside the Fox?
Let’s get into the weeds. If you look at the grain bill for Hazy Like a Fox, you aren't just seeing standard barley. They use a heavy dose of oats and wheat. Why? Because those grains have a high protein content. That is what gives the beer its "pillowy" mouthfeel. If you’ve ever had an IPA that felt thin or watery, it’s probably because they skipped the oats.
This beer is a double-dry-hopped beast. They use Citra and El Dorado hops.
Citra is the rockstar of the hop world. It’s everywhere because it works. It gives you that hit of grapefruit and lime. But El Dorado is the secret weapon here. El Dorado hops are known for "candy-like" flavors—think watermelon, pear, and stone fruit. When you mix those two, you get something that smells like a fruit salad but drinks like a beer.
- ABV: 6.5%
- IBU: Around 45 to 50 (though it tastes lower because of the sweetness)
- Appearance: Opaque, pale straw, looks like a sunrise in a glass.
Honestly, the 6.5% ABV is the "sweet spot." It’s strong enough to let you know it’s there, but it isn't one of those 9% triple IPAs that wrecks your palate and your afternoon after one glass. You can actually have two of these. Maybe three if it’s a long Saturday.
The "Haze" isn't just for show
There is a huge debate in the brewing world about whether haze matters. Some old-school brewers call it "lazy brewing." They think a beer should be filtered until it’s crystal clear. But with Hazy Like a Fox, the turbidity is functional. Those hop oils stick to the protein strands in the wheat and oats. If you filtered this beer until it was clear, you’d be filtering out the flavor.
It’s basically a juice bomb.
But here’s what most people get wrong: they think hazy means "not bitter." That’s not quite right. Hazy Like a Fox still has a backbone. If it had zero bitterness, it would be cloying and gross. The trick New Realm pulled off was moving the "hop drop" to the very end of the boil and into the fermentation tank. This extracts the aromatics (the smell) without extracting the harsh alpha acid bitterness (the "bite").
Why New Realm's approach changed the Southern craft scene
When Mitch Steele left Stone Brewing to help start New Realm, it was a massive deal. Mitch is a legend. He literally wrote the book on IPAs. Seriously, the book is called IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale.
When a guy who is known for West Coast, "burn-your-tongue-off" bitter IPAs decides to make a flagship NEIPA like Hazy Like a Fox, people listen. He didn't just chase a trend. He applied West Coast technical discipline to a New England style.
The result? A beer that is remarkably stable.
One of the biggest problems with hazy IPAs is that they die fast. Oxygen is the enemy. If you leave a typical craft hazy on the shelf for two months, it turns grey and tastes like wet cardboard. Because of the technical setup at New Realm, Hazy Like a Fox stays "bright" (in flavor, not color) longer than almost any other regional hazy I’ve tried.
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Pairing this with actual food
Stop pairing IPAs with just "spicy wings." It’s a lazy recommendation.
The tropical notes in Hazy Like a Fox—that pineapple and mango vibe—actually scream for something salty and fatty. Think fish tacos with a lime crema. The acidity in the lime cuts through the creaminess of the beer, and the tropical hops play off the white fish.
Or, if you want to be weirdly sophisticated, try it with a sharp cheddar or a goat cheese. The carbonation cleanses the palate of the heavy cheese, and the "candy" notes of the El Dorado hops act like a fruit garnish. It sounds pretentious. It tastes great.
The misconceptions about the "Fox"
I’ve heard people say this beer is "too sweet."
Look, if you want a bone-dry beer, drink a Pilsner. NEIPAs are supposed to have a perceived sweetness. It comes from the higher final gravity and the fruit-forward hops. If Hazy Like a Fox was dry, it would taste like bitter grass. The "sweetness" is what balances the 6.5% alcohol.
Another one: "It has fruit juice in it."
Nope. No juice. No puree. No "natural flavors" added in a lab. Every bit of that pineapple, orange, and peach flavor comes from the interaction between the London III yeast strain and the hops. That is the magic of fermentation. It’s chemistry that tastes like a vacation.
How to find the freshest cans
If you're buying this at a grocery store, look at the bottom of the can. Please.
Beer is bread. It’s a perishable product. For a beer like Hazy Like a Fox, you want to drink it within 90 days of the "canned on" date. If you find a pack that’s six months old, leave it there. The hops will have faded, and you’ll just be drinking a heavy, malty shadow of what the beer is supposed to be.
- Check the date code.
- Keep it cold. Never let a hazy IPA sit in a warm garage. Heat accelerates oxidation.
- Pour it into a glass. Drinking this out of the can is a waste. You need to smell those Citra hops to get the full experience.
The broader impact on the industry
The success of this beer proved that "hazy" wasn't a fad. In 2026, we’re seeing even more sub-styles, like Cold IPAs or Smoothie Sours, but the Hazy IPA has become the new standard "craft" offering, much like the Pale Ale was in the 90s.
New Realm used Hazy Like a Fox to build an empire. It allowed them to expand from a single spot in Atlanta to multiple taprooms across the Southeast. It’s a "bridge beer." It’s complex enough for the nerds who spend all day on beer forums, but it’s approachable enough for someone who usually drinks Blue Moon.
That’s a hard line to walk. Usually, you’re either too niche or too boring.
Your Next Steps for the Perfect Pour
Don't just grab a six-pack and toss it in the fridge. To actually appreciate what’s going on in the glass, you need a quick plan of action.
First, get the right glass. A tulip glass or a "teku" glass is best because the flared rim traps the aromatics. If you don't have one, a wide-mouth mason jar is actually better than a standard pint glass.
Second, watch the temperature. If the beer is ice-cold (straight out of a 34°F fridge), your taste buds will be numb to the flavors. Let the glass sit on the counter for about five or ten minutes. As it warms up to around 45°F, the "fruit" flavors will suddenly "pop."
Finally, compare it. If you can, find a West Coast IPA (like a Sierra Nevada or a Stone) and drink them side-by-side. You will immediately see why Hazy Like a Fox changed the game. The difference in texture—that soft, velvety feel versus the sharp, crisp bite of the West Coast style—is exactly why the "haze craze" happened in the first place.
Go to the store, find the freshest four-pack with the fox on the label, and see for yourself why this isn't just another cloudy beer. It’s a technical masterpiece that happens to taste like a tropical punch.