IPA beer or India Pale Ale is a craft beer style that's loaded with hops and hop flavor, which is why it's considered strong and bitter. Major IPA styles are West Coast IPA, New England IPA and Imperial / Double IPA. Double IPAs and Imperial IPAs are basically the same thing — IPA beer with a high hop concentration. Hence the big hop flavor you get in these beers. Or, maybe not ironically, double the amount of hops. Hence the name, "double IPA." To balance the high hop flavor, brewers add more malt to it, and thus they have high alcohol by volume. A "style" of IPA depends on the ingredients or the techniques used in the brewing process. No matter which IPA style you choose, it will have some common flavors such as floral, bitter, earthy, piney, citrusy and fruity. Some IPAs have a strong citrus taste, while others are fruitier. New England IPAs have gotten more and more popular in the last few years for their juicy flavor and hazy look.

Like when your beer tastes more like grapefruit than pine? NEIPAs may be for you. You'd think it would be from the yeast - but shockingly, it's not. New England IPAs get their look from the use of high protein adjuncts in the grain bill recipe. It makes for hazy, awesome beers known to be super juicy. This beer was supposedly started with Heady Topper by the Alchemist brewery. They were experimenting with a recipe, decided not to filter the beer and boom - history was made. Breweries from all around have picked up on the trend to create the hazy IPA we all know and love. If you need some help on what to try - read this.

IPAs date back to the British colonial times in India. The climate of India was too hot and humid for brewing, and the British sailors wanted something to drink. Brewers came up with a beer that's heavy on hops, which acts as a preservative. This let the sailors brew the beer back in England, and then carry it to India. With heavy hopping, the beer survived the journey for months. In 1829, an advertisement aired showing seasonal IPA as a beer. That's considered the launch of IPA. Since its creation, IPA has evolved in taste and style.

IPA is rich in flavor, the opposite of bland mass market lagers. IPAs are the first beers to gain popularity in the craft beer movement. Some people love IPAs because they don't go bad quickly. Ideally, consume IPA craft beer within three weeks of its production to get the most out of its fresh flavor and aromas. IPAs are dry hopped, which means the brewers steep hops in fermenting beer. This creates a strong aroma that amplifies the fruity and sweet notes of the hops, making IPAs smell better than other types of beer.

From session to double IPAs - there's a lot to get to know with this beer variety. Breweries are also always making new recipes to make even more beloved nectar. That said, it may take some time to try them all. Sounds like time worth spent though, right? Buyer beware- the ABV on some of these are pretty dang high. Reading labels and getting to know your favorite varieties is highly encouraged. And if you’re looking for a little help from Driz on which beers to try when you think IPAs may not be your thing - check out this article.

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