My case of hazy IPAs from the Pacific Northwest has a new favorite riding shotgun, and it comes wrapped in a Star Wars gag that actually lands. No Sleep Til Bespin is Vice Beer’s DDH Hazy IPA out of Vancouver, Washington, brewed at 7.2% ABV and stacked with Citra, Mosaic, and their cryo and hyperboost variants. I poured a can next to my usual Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing to see how a small pop-culture brewery stacks up against a hazy IPA that basically defined the category for a lot of drinkers, and the answer surprised me.
At a Glance
| Brewery | Vice Beer, Vancouver, Washington |
| Style | DDH Hazy IPA (New England / Hazy) |
| ABV | 7.2% |
| IBU | Not published by the brewery |
| Hops | Citra, Mosaic, Mosaic Cryo, Citra Cryo, Citra Hyperboost (double dry-hopped) |
| Serving size | 16 oz can |
| Community rating | 4.11 out of 5 |
| Where I would buy it | Taproom or Pacific Northwest bottle shops; see 5 Saucey-available alternatives below |
Who is Vice Beer, and why is a beer named after a floating city
Vice Beer opened in Vancouver, Washington in 2022, taking over a closed brewery space (the former Barlow’s) on the east side of town. Founders Michael Perozzo and Cameron Johnson built the whole brand around 80s and 90s pop culture nostalgia: think Stranger Things callbacks, retro video games, and yes, a whole lineup of Star Wars-referencing beers. No Sleep Til Bespin is part of that run, a nod to Cloud City and the line that turns a hazy IPA name into a punchline for anyone who grew up with the original trilogy. I have visited plenty of breweries that lean on a gimmick and forget the beer underneath it, so I went in a little skeptical.
Vice does not stick to one lane either. Alongside No Sleep Til Bespin, the brewery runs Czech-style lagers, imperial stouts, and a rotating cast of hazy and double IPAs, several done in collaboration with other Washington and Oregon breweries like Trap Door, Threshold, and Fortside. That range matters here: a brewery that can also nail a clean pilsner is usually paying real attention to fermentation and water chemistry, not just chasing a label gimmick, and it shows in how clean this beer’s finish is compared to some haze-for-haze’s-sake examples I have tried.
ABV, hop bill, and what is actually inside the can
No Sleep Til Bespin comes in at 7.2% ABV, which puts it toward the stronger end of a standard hazy IPA without crossing into imperial territory like a full double IPA. The brewery has not published an official IBU figure for this one, and I am not going to guess a number just to fill a spec box; if you have seen a listed IBU from Vice Beer directly, that would supersede what is written here. What we do know for certain is the hop bill, since Vice lists it on the can and across its retail listings: Citra, Mosaic, Mosaic Cryo, Citra Cryo, and Citra Hyperboost, all added as part of a double dry hop process. That is a heavily Citra- and Mosaic-leaning bill, and it is exactly why this beer reads more tropical-and-citrus than dank or resinous.
For anyone still getting a handle on what those hop names actually mean for flavor: Citra brings the grapefruit and passion fruit character, Mosaic contributes more blueberry and mango-adjacent fruitiness, and the cryo and hyperboost versions are concentrated hop products that push flavor and aroma intensity up without adding as much of the harsh vegetal bitterness a straight pellet hop can bring at high dose rates. If you want the fuller rundown on how hazy IPAs get built this way, and why IBU numbers can be almost meaningless once a beer is this heavily biotransformed with late and dry hop additions, I have full breakdowns on both linked here.
Tasting notes: pour, aroma, and flavor
This pours a hazy, almost peachy gold, thick enough that you cannot see through the glass, with a soft white head that holds for a couple of minutes before settling into a thin cap. The nose is orange and grapefruit first, backed by a tropical juice-box sweetness that reads more like fresh-squeezed citrus than candy. On the palate it opens with mango and ripe stone fruit, moves into a plush, almost creamy mouthfeel that hazy IPA fans specifically chase, and finishes soft, with just enough bitterness to remind you this is still an IPA and not a smoothie beer. There is a faint dank, resinous edge underneath the fruit, likely from the Mosaic Cryo, that keeps it from tipping into one-note juice territory.
At 7.2% ABV, this drinks noticeably easier than its strength suggests, which is both a compliment and a mild warning if you are planning on more than one 16 oz can in a sitting. The low, smooth bitterness does a lot of work here: it never fights the fruit, so the whole thing reads more refreshing than heavy, right up until the alcohol catches up with you a can and a half in.
Food pairing
The citrus-and-tropical hop character pairs well with the same foods that work for most Citra/Mosaic hazy IPAs. My picks: fish tacos with a squeeze of lime, a grilled chicken salad with mango or pineapple in it, mild Thai curry (the sweetness in the beer tempers the heat without fighting it), and a soft, mild cheese board (a triple-cream brie or a young gouda, nothing too sharp or blue). Avoid heavily charred or smoked BBQ here; the beer’s soft body gets overwhelmed by big smoke flavor. For a broader rundown on matching beer styles to a full spread, I put together a beer and BBQ pairing guide that covers where hazy IPAs fit against maltier styles.
How it compares to other hazy IPAs I have reviewed
No Sleep Til Bespin sits closer to the fruit-forward, low-bitterness end of the hazy spectrum than some of the other Citra/Mosaic beers I have covered. Against Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing, Vice Beer’s version is a touch stronger (7.2% vs Hazy Little Thing’s lower ABV) and leans more tropical than citrus-forward, thanks to the heavier Mosaic presence. It is also a more aggressive pour than Four Points Brewing’s Western Ave, which keeps things lighter and more session-friendly, and it is noticeably softer and juicier than Southern Prohibition’s Crowd Control, which pushes further into imperial IPA punch. If you liked Conclave Brewing’s 5th Element for its Citra/Rakau/Motueka combo, No Sleep Til Bespin is a fair next stop since both lean tropical over dank. And if you want a beer with a similarly loud can design and a similar juice-bomb approach, Able Baker’s Atomic Duck and Woodstock Inn’s Mountain Haze are both worth a look. For the deeper style breakdown behind all of these, see my guide to different IPA styles and the basic IPA meaning explainer if you are newer to the category.
- Heavy Citra/Mosaic hop bill delivers real tropical and citrus punch without harsh bitterness
- 7.2% ABV gives it some backbone without tipping into double IPA territory
- Thick, plush mouthfeel that hazy IPA fans specifically look for
- Genuinely fun, well-designed Star Wars label that does not feel like a cheap gimmick
- No published IBU figure makes it harder to compare on paper against other hazy IPAs
- Limited distribution outside the Pacific Northwest, so it is taproom-or-bust for most people
- Soft bitterness means it can taste a little sweet if you prefer a drier hazy IPA
Where to buy No Sleep Til Bespin (and 5 alternatives if you cannot find it)
Vice Beer distributes mainly around Vancouver, Washington and the wider Portland metro area, and No Sleep Til Bespin has not shown up as a listed product on Saucey, which mostly reflects its small, regional-taproom footprint rather than anything about the beer itself. If you are outside that distribution area, or the batch has already sold through (Vice runs a lot of one-off and rotating beers), here are five real, currently-available hazy IPAs on Saucey with a similar fruit-forward, Citra/Mosaic-driven profile that scratch the same itch.
FAQs
What is the ABV of No Sleep Til Bespin?
No Sleep Til Bespin from Vice Beer is 7.2% ABV, according to the brewery’s own can labeling.
What is the IBU of No Sleep Til Bespin?
Vice Beer has not published an official IBU figure for this beer. Any number you see quoted elsewhere that is not sourced to the brewery should be treated as an unofficial estimate, not a confirmed spec.
What hops are used in No Sleep Til Bespin?
The beer is double dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Mosaic Cryo, Citra Cryo, and Citra Hyperboost, giving it a tropical, citrus-forward profile with a soft, low-bitterness finish.
Where is Vice Beer located?
Vice Beer is a brewery and taproom in Vancouver, Washington, founded in 2022 by Michael Perozzo and Cameron Johnson, with a beer lineup built around 80s and 90s pop culture references.
Where can I buy No Sleep Til Bespin?
It is mainly available at Vice Beer’s own taproom and Pacific Northwest bottle shops and bars that carry the brewery’s rotating lineup. It is not currently listed on Saucey; see the five alternative hazy IPAs above if you cannot find it near you.
Is No Sleep Til Bespin a double IPA?
No. At 7.2% ABV it is a standard, if slightly strong, DDH Hazy IPA, not a double or imperial IPA, which typically starts around 8% ABV and up.
