I pride myself on being a beer snob. I pretty much like all beer, but I have a problem with what the industry has done with the label IPA. Don’t get me wrong I like IPAs. The original style is quite good. A bitter, piney, resiny taste. An old style from the days of the British Empire. A pale ale with added hops for its preservative properties was shipped around the Empire, namely India. That history is how the name came about “India Pale Ale”. Early in the craft movement IPAs were measured in IBU, International Bitters Units. The more hops the higher the IBU measurement. Normally a pale ale over 65 IPUs was labeled IPAs.

As time went on this style of beer was Americanized. The style became very popular. People would go into a pub and ask what IPAs do you have on tap, instead of what beers do you have on tap. The industry must have thought the more the better. Double and triple IPAs became popular. The terms dry hopped, wet-hopped, double hopped, and triple hopped became label standard catchphrases. IBUs went off the charts and hop hybrids began to replace the standard old-world hops. The taste change from bitter and earthy to a Citrusy fruity taste. How do you measure that in IBUs? I believe that the industry realizes that if you call a beer an IPA people would buy it. One of my favorite beers Lake Front Breweries’ “Fixed Grear Red ale” was relabeled as “Fixed Gear red IPA” and suddenly it was everyone’s favorite IPA. Guess what it is not an IPA. The company changed the name to sell more beer.

Then came new IPAs. West Coast IPA, New England IPA, Hazey IPA, etc. Just remember to add IPA. These are all good beers. Most are citrus flavored. Unfiltered, dank, and cloudy. Some of them feel thick enough to filter with your teeth. They are nothing like a true IPA. Why not west Coast Citus and New England Haze. Let us get creative with the new style names. Oh, that’s right as per the industry if it’s not labeled IPA it will not sell. I had a young friend say to me “Tim I hear you’re into IPAs” I said I’m into craft beer. His reply was “Yea IPAs.”

What happened to the choices we have at our local beer store. I like to pair my beer with the food I am eating. I went to my local store to buy a blonde ale that I like to pair with a light fish dish that Marylynn and I were making for dinner. They carried three or four IPAs from the same company, but not the blonde ale. An IPA would overpower the flavor of the fish. As I looked around I took noticed that most of the craft beer on the selves were IPAs. No amber ale, blonde ale, cream ale, or brown ale. Maybe a porter or a stout but just maybe.

I am now done with my rant. My message to all is to try something else. Don’t let the industry experts tell you what to drink. If you think that you don’t like IPAs try a different one. It is probably not an IPA.