Specimen intercepted before launch: one 12-ounce can, very little alcohol, a lot of snow on the label.
The Upslope Fast + Light IPA has surfaced as a label preview, and the numbers are small on purpose: 2.8% ABV, 80 calories and 2 grams of carbohydrates per 12-ounce can. Upslope’s own beer page has since added a few tasting notes, but there is still no release date, hop bill, IBU figure or distribution plan.
What the Upslope Fast + Light IPA label says
MyBeerBuzz published the label text on Oct. 20, 2026. The can calls it a “Fast + Light Series” India pale ale and lists:
- 2.8% alc/vol, 12 fl. oz.
- Average analysis per 12 oz.: 80 calories, 2g carbs, 0g protein, 0g fat
- Ingredients: snowmelt, malt, hops, yeast
- “Hand-crafted beer brewed and canned by Upslope Brewing Co, Denver, CO”
The snowmelt line is the label’s own claim, and it fits a brand that has long leaned on Colorado mountain imagery. What the label doesn’t give is flavor. “Series” also hints at more Fast + Light beers, but nothing beyond this IPA has been shown.
What Upslope says it tastes like
The brewery’s Fast + Light IPA page calls it “a hoppy 2.8% ABV IPA brewed to keep the pace on or off the trail” that “delivers all the flavor you want without slowing down the adventure ahead.” Its spec sheet lists light copper color, citrus-hop aroma, a light body and grilled chicken as the food pairing. Upslope’s beer list sums it up as “light, juicy, bright.” Those words are Upslope’s; the Bureau has not tasted the Upslope Fast + Light IPA, and the IBU field on the page is blank.
Availability on that page reads “All year long, baby,” and Upslope’s Backcountry Tap Room has been inviting guests to “be the first to try” the new IPA. Where else it will land has not been spelled out.
Denver or Boulder?
MyBeerBuzz calls Upslope a Denver brewery, and the label says “Denver, CO.” Longtime fans know Upslope as a Boulder name: it was founded there in 2008. Both are true, in a sense. In November 2025, Wilding Brands acquired Upslope’s brands and production, and Brewer Magazine reported that production would move to Wilding’s facility in Denver. The Boulder taprooms at Lee Hill and Flatirons Park, plus the Après Outpost in Silverthorne, were not part of the deal and stayed with the previous owner.
So the Upslope Fast + Light IPA is a Boulder-born brand brewed in Denver, at least per the can. The Bureau hasn’t confirmed which taprooms, if any, will pour it.
How it compares with other light beers
Colorado brewers are clearly chasing the low-ABV drinker. Here is how the Upslope Fast + Light IPA stacks up against two recent label and launch reports, using only figures published for each beer:
| Beer | Style | ABV | Calories | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upslope Fast + Light IPA | IPA | 2.8% | 80 | 2g |
| Oskar Blues Hardly Workin’ | Golden ale | 2.7% | 95 | 10g |
| Pelican Lite IPA | IPA | 5.4% | 122 | 3g |
The Oskar Blues Hardly Workin’ preview is the closest neighbor on alcohol, though it’s a golden ale rather than an IPA. Pelican Lite IPA shows the other route to “light”: keep the ABV near standard strength and cut calories and carbs. Earlier attempts in the same lane include Dogfish Head’s Slightly Mighty and Mind Haze Light.
The hard part at 2.8%
Alcohol carries body. Take most of it out of an IPA and the hops can taste thin or harsh unless the brewer rebuilds the mouthfeel somehow. How Upslope handles that is the real question, and the label can’t answer it.
What we still don’t know
No release date, price, pack sizes, hops, IBU or distribution footprint has been announced beyond the brewery’s “all year long” line. Until cans show up on shelves, the Bureau files this one as a sighting, not a landing. The Bureau has followed Upslope since its stout-season releases and will update this file when the Upslope Fast + Light IPA gets an official launch.
Upslope Fast + Light IPA FAQ
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