6 beers that demonstrate the staying power of hazy IPA.
Some say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and with its cloudy mystique and glistening golden hue, it’s little wonder that hazy IPA has been a long-standing darling of the craft beer scene. But what the hell even is a hazy IPA? And why is it so popular? Well, let us learn you a thing or two about this beautiful brew.
Believe it or not, there once was a time when craft beer was meme-ably niche. The format went something like “curly moustache guy is fussy at the pub”. This was back when West Coast IPA, with its intensely hoppy and ultra-bitter flavour profile, was kinda it for craft beer. For the folks that loved them, avant-garde was the point. But for everyone else, the whole craft thing seemed a little inaccessible. Then hazy IPA happened.
Pulling the category out of the shadows and firmly into the limelight, hazy IPA was the first craft beer to truly go viral – and it’s never really gone away. Also known as ‘East Coast’ or ‘New England’ IPA, this style traces its roots back to the early noughties when Vermont brewery The Alchemist started experimenting with how they made their IPA. By introducing the hops post-fermentation, The Alchemist’s brewers managed to dial that West Coast bitterness right down. They also skipped the filtration process, which is where hazy IPA gets its namesake haze from. The result was an easy-drinking, juice-driven brew bursting with tropical fruit flavours.
Suddenly there existed an IPA that anyone and everyone could love. Delicious, fruity, and highly drinkable, the match had been lit and hazy IPA caught on like wildfire. From New England to New South Wales and beyond, every brewer and their dog was working overtime to meet demand. Craft beer had finally become mainstream and hazy IPA was its breakout hit.
Fast-forward to the present day and the craft beer diehards, forever seeking the new and the different, have shifted their hype elsewhere. Sours, lagers, wheat ales and the like are the craft scene’s shiny new toys du jour. And even though hazy IPA, with its ubiquitous presence in fridges and on taps everywhere, may seem a little like yesterday’s news, its longevity stands as proof of its prowess.
Trends come and go, but hazy IPA, it seems, is forever. And for good reason. To prove our point, here are six of our must-try faves. Each one is bloody delicious and serves as a reminder that mega-stardom is well-earned where hazy IPA is concerned.
1. Young Henry's Hazy Pale Ale
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2. Balter Eazy Hazy
3. Panhead Sandman Hazy Pale Ale
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4. Atomic Hazy IPA
5. Black Hops Brewery G.O.A.T. Hazy IPA
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6. Matilda Bay Aussie Wheat Ale
