Stone Releases Seasonal “Stone Chill Villain IPA”

Southern California beer lovers have a brand-new, highly anticipated IPA to look forward to. Stone Brewing has officially dropped the final installment of its 2026 seasonal innovation series, delivering a exciting twist on the style the brewery helped pioneer decades ago.

Crafted at the small-batch innovation brewery at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, Stone Chill Villain IPA blends classic hop profiles with an unconventional fermentation method. The result is a uniquely crisp, semi-crushable 7% ABV West Coast IPA that pushes creative boundaries while staying true to Stone’s bold roots.

NEW Seasonal Release Now Available Across Southern California

SAN DIEGO, CA  – Stone Brewing announces the launch of Stone Chill Villain IPA, the third and final release from the brewery’s 2026 seasonal innovation series. Amply hopped yet easy to crush, Stone Chill Villain brings a refreshing twist to the West Coast IPA style.

Stone Chill Villain (7% ABV) was developed at the small-batch innovation brewery at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station. It is now available on draft and in 16oz PakTech six-packs throughout Southern California.

Kris Ketcham, Senior Manager of Brewing & Innovation, took two of his favorite hops, Simcoe and Citra, then added a touch of Strata Quantum Bright Hop Extract to accentuate the fruit attributes and underlying dankness. In a departure from tradition, the beer was fermented with Stone’s house lager yeast to deliver a uniquely crisp and crushable IPA.

“Stone Chill Villain trades on our reputation for assertive West Coast IPAs such as Stone IPA and Stone Delicious IPA,” Ketcham said. “It’s a little more relaxed, but it still packs a punch.”

The resulting beer offers floral aromas of lime, pine, pineapple and white raspberry. Waves of citrus, mango, ruby grapefruit and subtle malt sweetness mingle with hints of dankness on a light, dry finish. 

Trailblazers of the West Coast IPA style, Stone Brewing launched its three-part seasonal series earlier this year with Stone Green Buds IPA and Stone Live Current IPA. Stone Chill Villain IPA now punctuates the series while setting the pace for future seasonals and continued innovation at Liberty Station.  

Find Stone Chill Villain IPA now through the end of 2026 using the Stone Beer Finder at Find.StoneBrewing.com. 

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BEER QUICK FACTS

Name: Stone Chill Villain IPA
Web: www.stonebrewing.com/beer/seasonal-rotation/stone-chill-villain-ipa
Stats: 7% ABV, 43 IBUs
Availability: Southern California Only, July – December 2026
Packaging: 16oz six-packs (PakTech) & Draft

TASTING NOTES

Appearance: Clear, light yellow, thin white head.
Aroma: Lime, pine, pineapple, floral, herbal, white raspberry
Taste: Ruby grapefruit, mango, lime, dank, light malt sweetness,
Palate: Light, crisp and dry with hints of sweetness and bitterness on the finish

An Early Peek At Stone Chill Villain
Back in February 2026, I first introduced you to Chill Villain and my reveal post. I Also preceeded that that with the release details from their Seasonal Rotation Series in October 2025, so when I say “highly-anticipated” release, you can see why.

About Stone Brewing

Founded in 1996, Stone Brewing pioneered the West Coast Style IPA, helping to fuel the modern craft beer revolution and inspire generations of beer fanatics. Today, Stone operates Tap Rooms throughout Southern California as well as its innovation brewery located at the destination Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station. Stone offers a wide range of craft beers including its most popular Stone IPA, Stone Delicious IPA and Stone Buenaveza. Stone has twice been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate. To find Stone beers, visit find.stonebrewing.com. For more information on Stone Brewing visit stonebrewing.com or @StoneBrewing on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

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