Son of Juice Review: Maplewood Brewing Company

There is a particular kind of hazy IPA that wins you over before you have taken a proper sip: bright can art, a soft-looking pour, and that juicy hop aroma that says this should be a good one. Son of Juice from Maplewood Brewing Company fits that picture, but it has enough structure behind the fruit to keep it from tasting like juice with a beer label. I like it as an approachable, Chicago-brewed New England-style IPA: expressive, soft around the edges, and still recognizably beer.

The community rating is 3.99 out of 5 from 78,719 ratings, a sizeable vote of confidence for a beer that has moved well beyond a small taproom following. I am looking at it as a drinker who appreciates the softer side of IPA, and as a homebrewer who pays attention to the grain bill and hop choices that make a hazy beer feel rounded rather than heavy. Here is what stands out, what the published specs do and do not tell us, and how I would serve it.

Son of Juice at a glance

That is a deliberately careful spec table. Maplewood publishes the style, strength, hop bill, and malt bill, but I could not confirm an official IBU or calorie number. I would rather leave those blank than give false precision. If bitterness is a big part of how you choose a beer, the plain-English guide to IBU explains why the number is only one clue, especially in a hazy IPA.

Who makes Son of Juice?

Maplewood Brewing Company is based in Chicago, at 2717 North Maplewood Avenue. It operates in the city’s Logan Square neighborhood, where a brewery can feel connected to its street and local regulars while still making beer with an audience well beyond the block. Son of Juice is listed as a year-round beer, not a one-off seasonal release. Its continuing availability in multiple can sizes and draft formats is part of the point: this is one of the brewery’s recognizable core IPAs, designed to be easy to come back to.

Maplewood’s own brewery story puts the company among the Chicago craft brewers that helped make the local beer scene feel adventurous without demanding that every release be a rare, high-ABV trophy. I like that balance. If you are exploring regional IPA identities, compare it with my notes on Revolution Brewing’s Chicago beers, or use the broader IPA brands guide to find other breweries worth seeking out.

What is a New England IPA?

The New England IPA, often shortened to NEIPA, tends to emphasize hop aroma and a fuller, softer palate over a sharp, dry bitterness. Haze is common, but haze alone is not the style. A good example uses the malt and process to round off hop intensity while keeping the beer lively and aromatic. For a more complete breakdown, see my guide to what makes a hazy IPA different.

Son of Juice is a useful example because its ingredient list signals the texture as well as the aroma. Pilsner malt gives the base a clean grain character. Oats and wheat contribute body and a smooth impression, helping the hop expression sit on a pillowy platform rather than a thin, crisp one. The brewery calls it hazy and describes tropical fruit character, a soft body, and low bitterness. That puts the emphasis where I want it: juicy but not syrupy, soft but not flat.

Hop bill: Mosaic, Simcoe, and Nugget

The hop bill is an appealing combination. Mosaic is associated with a broad fruit spectrum, often berry, citrus, and tropical notes. Simcoe can bring pine, citrus, and a more resinous edge. Nugget is often used for a clean bittering contribution. Cryo versions concentrate hop compounds, so the presence of Mosaic Cryo and Simcoe Cryo suggests an effort to layer aroma without loading the beer with excessive vegetal material. That is a brewer’s reading of the ingredient list, not a promise that every can will taste identical.

In the glass, I find the profile easiest to describe as juicy citrus and ripe tropical fruit first, with a quieter piney and lightly dank note keeping it from becoming one-dimensional. The nose is the first event: bright, fruit-forward, and more inviting than sharp. The initial sip has a rounded feel, then a modest bitterness dries the finish enough to invite another taste. It does not have the assertive snap of a West Coast IPA, nor the heavy sweetness of some overripe hazies.

Cryo hops are not a magic shortcut; in the brewhouse, hop timing and oxygen control matter at least as much as the variety list. For curious homebrewers, my double dry-hopped pale ale recipe is a good companion read. And if you want a contrasting hop character, Ghost in the Machine goes much bigger and stronger, with a very different sense of scale.

Pour, aroma, and tasting notes

I would pour Son of Juice into a tulip or a nonic pint, not drink it ice-cold straight from the can. Give it a moment to settle and the haze becomes part of its appeal: a saturated straw-gold to pale orange, topped with a creamy white head. The foam brings a pleasant texture and helps keep the aroma close to the glass. Letting it warm slightly reveals more than simply serving it as cold as possible.

The aroma leans fruit-forward, with citrus peel, tropical fruit, and a soft stone-fruit impression. On the palate, the oats and wheat are not something I taste as cereal; they show up as texture. The body is smooth and lightly pillowy, while the hops provide enough shape to stop it from feeling sweet. A short, gentle bitterness stays behind after the fruit fades. For a 6.3% beer, it has satisfying substance without reading as a double IPA or getting tiring after one serving.

If you already enjoy the style, the main distinction is balance. Some hazies push hard into mango and candy-like sweetness; Son of Juice seems to keep a little more bitterness and hop bite in the frame. It is still unmistakably soft, but the finish has a welcome sense of movement. I would put it in the same broad conversation as Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing, while noting that the hop expression and local character differ. It is also worth comparing with the haze-focused New Realm Brewing reviews.

How to serve it

Keep the can cold, but not so cold that the aroma disappears. I like a proper glass for this one because it lets the head form and makes the fruit notes more obvious. Pour steadily, leaving a little sediment in the bottom if you prefer a cleaner-looking glass, or roll the can gently if you want it all incorporated. Hazy IPA drinkers can have strong views on that choice; I do not think either approach is wrong.

This is a good beer to take to a casual cookout or a game-day get-together. Its soft body makes it friendly to drinkers who find a bitter IPA too severe, while its 6.3% ABV and aroma still give experienced hop fans something to pay attention to. My tailgating beer picks are useful if you are building a cooler around different tastes, rather than bringing only one big IPA.

Food pairings

Fruit-forward hops and a plush body make Son of Juice flexible at the table. The key is to let the beer either refresh the palate against richer food or echo a dish’s spice and citrus, not drown delicate flavors. These would be my first pairings:

• Tacos al pastor: pineapple, char, and chile meet the beer’s tropical aroma. The modest bitterness keeps the pairing from becoming sugary.
• Buffalo wings: the soft texture takes the edge off heat, while the hop finish clears away the buttery sauce.
• Grilled chicken sandwiches: especially good with slaw, pickled onion, or a bright herb dressing.
• Smash burgers: the malt and creamy body can stand alongside browned meat and sharp cheddar without the beer feeling too lean.
• Salty snacks: pretzels, kettle chips, and fried cheese curds all make easy taproom companions.
• Spicy Thai or Korean dishes: a fruit-led IPA can work with chili heat, though very hot sauces may exaggerate alcohol and bitterness.

For more focused pairing ideas, browse my notes on Off Color beer with tacos. For a mixed crowd, I would put Son of Juice next to a crisp lager or a lighter pale ale, not another similarly intense hazy. That gives people options and keeps the meal from turning into one long hop bomb.

Where to buy Son of Juice

Maplewood lists Son of Juice as a year-round beer and shows several packaging and draft formats, including cans and kegs. That makes it more than a taproom-only curiosity, though local inventory and distribution vary. If you are in Chicago, look for it at the brewery or a retailer with a current craft selection; elsewhere, check local shops and delivery listings rather than assuming every market stocks it.

I could not verify a live Saucey product listing for Son of Juice itself: the Saucey search result was not enough to confirm a working product page, SKU, and image. Rather than point to an unverified listing, here are five genuinely comparable hazy or juicy IPAs with confirmed Saucey product links. Availability depends on your delivery area.

Five hazy IPA alternatives to try

These are not replacements for the Chicago original, but each scratches a nearby itch: soft texture, fruit-forward hops, or easygoing hazy character.

Pros and cons

My verdict: is Son of Juice worth trying?

Yes. Son of Juice is a well-judged, year-round hazy IPA that keeps its juicy side in check with enough bitterness and hop definition to stay refreshing. The published ingredient list makes sense: oats and wheat for a plush base, Mosaic and Simcoe in both standard and Cryo forms for a layered aromatic profile, and Nugget in the mix for structure. At 6.3% ABV, it lands in the satisfying middle ground where the beer feels flavorful without turning into a special-occasion sipper.

The limitations are mostly practical. It is a Chicago beer first, so what you can buy depends on where you live, and there are no official calorie or IBU numbers to compare. But if you like hazy IPAs and find one locally, I would happily make room for it. Its 3.99 community score from 78,719 ratings backs up the sense that this is a dependable favorite rather than a niche curiosity.

My rating: 3.99 out of 5. A juicy, balanced Chicago hazy with an inviting texture and a more thoughtful hop structure than the fruit-forward name alone might suggest.

FAQs about Son of Juice

What style of beer is Son of Juice?

Son of Juice is a New England-style IPA, also described as a hazy IPA. It has a soft body, visible haze, and fruit-forward hop character.

How strong is Son of Juice?

Maplewood lists Son of Juice at 6.3% ABV.

How many calories are in Son of Juice?

I could not find a reliable official calorie figure from the brewery. The can size and ABV alone are not enough to calculate an exact calorie count.

What hops are used in Son of Juice?

The published hop list is Mosaic, Mosaic Cryo, Simcoe, Simcoe Cryo, and Nugget.

Is Son of Juice bitter?

Maplewood describes Son of Juice as low in bitterness. It still has enough hop structure to balance its juicy fruit character, but it is much softer than a classic bitter West Coast IPA.

Is Son of Juice available year-round?

Yes. Maplewood lists it among its year-round beers, in several can and draft formats. Availability varies by location and retailer.

References

• Maplewood Brewing Company, Son of Juice product page
• Maplewood Brewing Company, brewery contact and location information