The 6 IPAs in our fridge right now

India pale ales (IPAs) are souped-up pale ales, dosed with maximum hops to boost flavour and (often) bitterness by several rungs. Ever since the craft beer movement really got going in the 1980s and ‘90s, IPAs have been the flagship. The big boy. It’s the beer style that inspires some breweries to brew nothing else, and beer lovers to collect their favourites like shiny Pokemon cards. And who can blame ’em? IPAs are the beer for those times when subtlety is not the answer and only a flavour punch to the mouth will do. Yeah, IPAs rule.

You might have heard the story of the OG IPA – the beer fortified with hops to keep it fresh on long sea journeys between England and India in the 19th century. Well, the great great grandkids of that beer are the IPAs we celebrate today, and they’ve spread far and wide from the original.

Here’s a quick refresher on the major IPA styles you’ll see these days:  

• West Coast IPA 

  This is the modern classic and probably the beer you taste in your mind’s mouth when someone says IPA. These are filtered (giving them a nice, clear appearance), reasonably malty (meaning they can sometimes be a little rich) and packed with bitter hops. Flavours like pine resin and tropical fruits are the calling cards.

   

• NEIPA/East Coast/Hazy IPA

  The new guy, the young sensation. The NEIPA (New England IPA – generally pronounced ‘neepa’) is the opposite of the West Coast style, prioritising low bitterness, an opaque haze (giving the beer a silky texture), and sweet tropical and citrus fruit flavours.

   

• English IPA

  Not all that common in the 21st century, but you can still find this style (spoiler alert: we did). This is the seafaring IPA of the old days, characterised by a richer body and hops that contribute more of a grassy, floral, spicy flavour profile.
  
  

Okay, that’s enough thinking – let’s look at some IPAs you’ll want to get to drinking.