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.

6 great hazy beers to try:

1. Young Henry's Hazy Pale Ale

Fresh out of the brewery and co-signed by icons like Nat’s What I Reckon and Flex Mami, Young Henry’s Hazy Pale Ale only just joined the Newtown-based brewery’s core range this year. Even so, it’s caused quite a stir. Golden in colour and bursting with tropical stone fruit and citrus aromas, this beer is a bonafide beauty.

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2. Balter Eazy Hazy

Creating the “perfect session beer” is the north star for most craft breweries. Churning through increasingly popular takes on the genre, the Balter crew have taken their learnings and landed frighteningly close with their Eazy Hazy. Leveraging the power of US hops, this beer is dripping with lime, passionfruit and coconut flavours. A rolled-wheat base provides balance and creaminess. It ticks all the boxes in our books.

3. Panhead Sandman Hazy Pale Ale

Inspired by the iconic Aussie road-trip cruiser – the Holden Sandman – Panhead’s Hazy Pale Ale is ideal fodder for summer days spent shooting the breeze with mates. Easy-drinking and flowing with that juicy, tropical aroma hazy IPA is known for, it makes for excellent Esky stuffing during the warmer months. Seek the shade of a big palm tree and the sound of waves crashing along the shore for this one.

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4. Atomic Hazy IPA

Redfern’s Atomic Beer earned its stripes with a stock standard (and bloody delicious) pale ale, but the rampant adoration for their Hazy IPA quickly found it playing second fiddle to a new flagship brew. Tropical citrus aromas loom large here, buoyed by an elegant herbal note. Light, sessionable and gloriously hoppy, there’s a lot to love about this beer.

5. Black Hops Brewery G.O.A.T. Hazy IPA

Naming your beer “G.O.A.T.” might come across as a bold move, but with a plethora of awards to back it up (Indies Gold Medal 2019; AIBA IPA - NEIPA Gold Medal 2018; #5 GABS Hottest 100 in 2020; AIBA Gold Medal 2021), Black Hops Hazy IPA wears the name with aplomb. Mosaic, Amarillo and El Dorado hops are introduced post-fermentation to bestow this beer with all that tropical juice flavour we’ve come to love.

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6. Matilda Bay Aussie Wheat Ale

Okay, so this one’s technically an Aussie Wheat Ale, but don’t dismiss its hazy charms just yet. Phil Sexton and the brewers at Matilda Bay have been privy to the virtues of a hazy, creamy craft beer for more than 35 years, and their Aussie Wheat Ale is very much in the wheelhouse here. Lively with notes of tangerine and Seville orange, this beer doesn’t fully dispense with its subtle bitterness, but packs crispness in spades.