What's up with the IPA fad?

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I just met some friends at the bar that I hadn't seen in quite a while. We bellied up and placed our orders. The one guy next to me, orders an IPA, to which I look at him and say, "I thought you hated IPAs?" He said that coming to my house a couple of times last year and trying the ones I made, made him want to try more of them. The hops kind of grow on you. At first they can be too much, but soon, you seem to want more of them.

I've actually seen this happen in a couple of friends now. Even ones who were BMC drinkers for years. I think it's one style that actually grows on people compared to others. I don't know why, but it seems everyone who's ever told me they don't like porters or stouts, really never do end up drinking them. It seems the IPAs though tend to grow on people.

In the end, most IPAs tend to be easy drinkers and that style isn't really that far off from what a lot of Americans are used to drinking. Granted, they are hoppier, usually more complex but for the most part, it's just a simple malt beverage that is highly hopped. When you start talking about stouts, porters, ESBs, etc, They are definitely a lot further from the BMC, than an IPA is. It's almost like a gateway drug for beer. It allows them to step away from their comfort zone, without feeling like they completely fell off the cliff.
 
I do think they grow on people but I don't think its a "gateway" craft brew, at least to most people I know like IPAs but it used to be that we all drank wheats, browns and ambers mostly. Those were the gateways, for me wheat, specifically bells Oberon. Now I don't care for it that much but still enough to get at leat 1 six pack a year. Usually a couple since the first I buy is always a little green and needs time. One by one we each started to really like IPAs.

Now days I really like most styles, outside of sours, but I still go through tines when all I want are IPAs.
 
JordanKnudson said:
A few of the comments have mentioned the high abv of many beers on the market today. This "trend" (if you can call it that) is more obnoxious to me than the popularity of IPAs (which is, in fact, a wonderful thing in my opinion). Don't get me wrong, a well-made barleywine or RIS is a wonderful thing. What I don't like is going into a bar and finding that the "low/average" abv beers are 6.5-7%...and there are all of two of them on the menu. Sometimes I just want to kick back and drink all evening, without falling out of my chair or having to use the girlfriend as a crutch to get home.

But this ties into the conversation in that one of the more recent trends (in both homebrewing and commercial) is the session IPA. This, I think, is a fantastic idea. For one thing, you can drink them all day. For another, the focus tends to be on hop flavor and aroma, and not on bitterness (because heavy bitterness in these low abv beers overwhelms everything else). I'm sure some of the hopheads on this thread have tried Stone's Go To IPA. It's ~4.5%, huge aroma and flavor, and only as bitter on the palate as, say, an APA (and though it's admittedly low on the malt side, it works for this beer). This, I think, is a direction that will appeal to more people than the gigantic imperial IPAs. For one, hop lovers like myself will enjoy it. Non-IPA drinkers might find that the emphasis on flavor and aroma over bitterness is more enjoyable than they found with regular IPAs
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This thread has gotten a little redundant, so its time for a fresh angle. The quote above hits it on the nose. IPAs are here because theres a demand, they're delicious and with new methods they're only getting better.(OP, I'm sorry your selection sucks, hopefully you'll get a chance to drive to Asheville soon for some nice variety). But if we're talking trends, the high ABV trend has gotten way out of hand. Now, I love a good DIPA as much as anyone, but its amplified to every imaginable style. I'm not at all arguing against IPAs, but the trend of "more alcohol = better" has gotten a little out of hand. Pilsners, for example, when made properly, are among the most flavorful yet delicate beers you can find. I live in Cincinnati, and the local collaboration brew for Cincy beer week was an Imperial Pilsner, exemplifying the high ABV trend. This is a problem in general, and hopefully the craft beer movement wont be marred by a giant overconsumption problem that leads to health problems down the road, underscored by the fact that nearly every high ABV, one off commercial craft brew is packaged in a bomber.

Just my opinion. I brew and drink a wide variety of beers, and will consume depending on my mood. Closer to the OP's point, though: I don't brew many IPAs anymore, because I can find fantastic ones on the shelf of my amazing bottle shop, and I prefer to brew new ideas and things I can't readily find.
 
BigPerm said:
This thread has gotten a little redundant, so its time for a fresh angle. The quote above hits it on the nose. IPAs are here because theres a demand, they're delicious and with new methods they're only getting better.(OP, I'm sorry your selection sucks, hopefully you'll get a chance to drive to Asheville soon for some nice variety). But if we're talking trends, the high ABV trend has gotten way out of hand. Now, I love a good DIPA as much as anyone, but its amplified to every imaginable style. I'm not at all arguing against IPAs, but the trend of "more alcohol = better" has gotten a little out of hand. Pilsners, for example, when made properly, are among the most flavorful yet delicate beers you can find. I live in Cincinnati, and the local collaboration brew for Cincy beer week was an Imperial Pilsner, exemplifying the high ABV trend. This is a problem in general, and hopefully the craft beer movement wont be marred by a giant overconsumption problem that leads to health problems down the road, underscored by the fact that nearly every high ABV, one off commercial craft brew is packaged in a bomber.



Just my opinion. I brew and drink a wide variety of beers, and will consume depending on my mood. Closer to the OP's point, though: I don't brew many IPAs anymore, because I can find fantastic ones on the shelf of my amazing bottle shop, and I prefer to brew new ideas and things I can't readily find.
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I do get annoyed everything is in a bomber. I like to have one beer every evening once the wife and I have our son down for the night. It gives me a change to chill and relax before the next day, but- a bomber is more than I want to drink, not to mention they are usually 7 to 10 $ a pop.

On the other hand, I enjoy the high ABV stuff since I only drink one a night. Gives me the perfect buzz. But, I also love how they can make a big beer with so much flavor yet mask the ABV.

I had a simcoe double IPA in a bomber last night with my dad. Awesome and rocked in at 9%, but to me, it wasn't worth the 9$ tho.

Past few months I stick to making a nice IPA around 7% and been buying 6 packs of barley wine to drink through the week for my one beer.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
neild5 said:
I mostly go for pale or brown ales along with porters and stouts. However a good IPA can be tasty on a summer day. It needs to be a true IPA and not an Americanized IPA that is in competition to see who can use the most hops.
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This is exactly my point. This is what the categaory has been reduced to.

Shove all the hops you can into the bottle, while retaining the drinkers ability to swallow.
 
I admit I am still at the hop trough getting my fill.
Maybe someday that will change but I won't stray too far from Bell's Two Hearted, unless I see a double IPA I haven't tried. I follow that up with a Pilsner and it doesn't get any better than that for me.
 
Besides the unique flavors and floral, spicy aromas another reason people may grow fond of hops is that there may be anxiolitic effect from hops. People may come back for more and develop a taste for ipa's because of the subconscious medicinal properties from the hops.

From Wikipedia “Hops are also used in*herbal medicine*in a way
similar to*valerian, as a treatment for anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia.[41]*A*pillow*filled with hops is a popular folk remedy for sleeplessness, and animal research has shown a sedative effect.[42]*The relaxing effect of hops may be due, in part, to the specific chemical component*dimethylvinyl carbinol.[43][44]"
 
Hello, I can't stand IPAs, they taste like bitter liquid alfalfa, If I wanted to drink hop juice I would drop a handful of them in a blender.

Beer should taste like beer, not just hops!

Cheers :mug:
 
I had a 21 year old server at work the other day ask me, " do you have any IPA's you could suggest me to try. I don't like the bitter hop flavor of the one's I've tried" All I could think about was this thread...... I asked her " if you don"t like the general flavor profile of the beer, Why don't you try different styles and find a style that you like and drink those?" she replied, " well everyone seems to be drinking IPA's and their everywhere". I get why this thread was started yet drinking an IPA as I type......
 
I think it has a lot to do with the rise of craft beers in general. When people turn to craft beers they are generally looking for something different. If all you've ever drank is coors light, it's not gonna get much different than an IPA. The bitterness, citrus, or pineyness are easily identifiable to an uninitiated beer pallet.
 
WileECoyote said:
Hello, I can't stand IPAs, they taste like bitter liquid alfalfa, If I wanted to drink hop juice I would drop a handful of them in a blender.



Beer should taste like beer, not just hops!



Cheers :mug:
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Your comment--original, cogent, thought-provoking, and most of all relevant--wins the thread. There is clearly no reason to continue this discussion. We have our answer.
 
missedtheapex said:
Your comment--original, cogent, thought-provoking, and most of all relevant--wins the thread. There is clearly no reason to continue this discussion. We have our answer.
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Thank You, Its really nice to have fellow brewers that feel the same way I do, Fads come and go and I have lived through a lot of them, urban cowboy movie and all of a sudden the people that made fun of me were dressing like me lol, no joke !

Dirt Motorcycle Racing wasn't cool in the early 80's But they make millions on it now!

I had a truck in 1979 and girls wouldn't talk to me, now a off road truck is cool.

Things come and go. Good beer will live on for ever !

Cheers my friend :mug:
 
I don't think IPAs are a fad. They have been around forever. They are Indian pale ales because the Brits drank them on the long voyages to India when they occupied the country. Hops are a natural preservative and provided sailors with a safe drink.

I'm a country bumpkin and most people are BMC drinkers. I also may not notice the trend since I don't get out much :)


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
Yooper said:
I don't get something.

Why do some beer lovers feel that it's "cool" to slam something they don't care for?

"Budweiser- it's horsepiss"
"IPAs- for people with no taste"
"Lagers- for people who don't like flavor"
"lagers- for people who have discernment"
"PBR is for hipsters" (my dad drank that for years)

I just don't get it. I don't like Belgians, and I don't like hefeweizens. I don't like sours, and I don't like wheat beers.

But I don't think it makes me look more awesome by insulting others' taste if they do like them.

Drink what you like. No one is holding you down forcing you to consume what they like. Buy what you like- vote with your wallet.

There is a reason that IPAs are popular- because a lot of people like them.

Bud Light is popular, too- because a lot of people like it.

If I don't, that's ok. I'm not too much of a beer snob to sneer at those who like certain things.

We've had several of these types of threads lately, and it isn't very friendly or welcoming to other people who may actually have different taste than someone else.

A guy who was very insulting last week about people who like hoppy beers stated he loved Leinenkugal's Berry Weiss because he actually has taste buds. Ok, that's fine that he likes a beer that is more sugary and fruity than Fruity Pebbles. I'm ok with that. It's his choice.

Let's not keep up this type of arrogance. We all have different tastes. We can all express what we like without denigrating others.

Beer snobs can be nearly as bad as wine snobs, and that's not a compliment.
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So well put. This is the best post I've seen on HBT since I joined.
 
hehawbrew said:
I don't think IPAs are a fad. They have been around forever. They are Indian pale ales because the Brits drank them on the long voyages to India when they occupied the country. Hops are a natural preservative and provided sailors with a safe drink.

I'm a country bumpkin and most people are BMC drinkers. I also may not notice the trend since I don't get out much :)


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
Click to expand...

Yes IPAs have been around forever, but the trend is over hopped, dry hopped and hopped in the bottle to the max.
 
When I started to brew, Ballantine India Pale Ale was used as the sounding board for brewing IPA. It was a very balanced beer. Far from what is being produced by some of the craft brewers, or some homebrewers, today. Ballantine IPA disappeared around 1984-85. I like balance in beer. Something produced that is loaded up with hops and alcohol that buries the malt flavor is imbalanced. If the story is true about IPA, it was aged out for several months. I'm not sure how much aging takes place with today's IPA's. When a homebrewer makes an IPA that goes from boiler to belly in a month or so. Can it be classified as a true IPA? Or, is it an imbalanced product that hasn't matured as a true IPA? Back in the 50's when an aerial was needed to pick up the snowy images on TV, transmitted by the only 3 broadcasters. Every ball game aired, advertized Ballantine, Pabst and cigars. Ah, the good old days, when you could light up a cigar in the doctors office and no one had you arrested. When hops in beer didn't smell like cat pi$$, pine cones and grapefruit. When cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup and honey were used on French toast, not dumped in beer.
 
VladOfTrub said:
When I started to brew, Ballantine India Pale Ale was used as the sounding board for brewing IPA. It was a very balanced beer. Far from what is being produced by some of the craft brewers, or some homebrewers, today. Ballantine IPA disappeared around 1984-85. I like balance in beer. Something produced that is loaded up with hops and alcohol that buries the malt flavor is imbalanced. If the story is true about IPA, it was aged out for several months. I'm not sure how much aging takes place with today's IPA's. When a homebrewer makes an IPA that goes from boiler to belly in a month or so. Can it be classified as a true IPA? Or, is it an imbalanced product that hasn't matured as a true IPA? Back in the 50's when an aerial was needed to pick up the snowy images on TV, transmitted by the only 3 broadcasters. Every ball game aired, advertized Ballantine, Pabst and cigars. Ah, the good old days, when you could light up a cigar in the doctors office and no one had you arrested. When hops in beer didn't smell like cat pi$$, pine cones and grapefruit. When cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup and honey were used on French toast, not dumped in beer.
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I wouldn't mind doing a Ballantine clone...any good ones out there?
 
Look for a mid 60's clone. My Ol' Man (dad) said that is when they changed the recipe and went south. I've seen a recipe or three, possibly one here. I didn't keep track because I wasn't impressed by the hop schedule at the time. That is neither here nor there now. I would take another look.
 
VladOfTrub said:
Back in the 50's when an aerial was needed to pick up the snowy images on TV, transmitted by the only 3 broadcasters. Every ball game aired, advertized Ballantine, Pabst and cigars. Ah, the good old days, when you could light up a cigar in the doctors office and no one had you arrested. When hops in beer didn't smell like cat pi$$, pine cones and grapefruit. When cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup and honey were used on French toast, not dumped in beer.
Click to expand...

Ah, yes. The good old days of fuzzy sports, limited choice in beer, and second hand smoke being a privilege instead of a burden.
 
I said it before and I'll say it again. I like my IPAS unbalanced, bitter, and full of hops. I don't get to drink them as much as I would like because I drink with a lot of BMC friends. None of my friends drink craft beer. It really blows sometimes....
 
I'm of like mind here, I don't like IPAs at all. In addition to not liking hops, I'm pretty allergic to them. As I've tried more and more styles and brands (thanks mostly to Untappd) I've noticed it's not the bittering additions. I can drink and enjoy an ESB with out my face completely shutting down. I think it may be beers that are dry hopped that affect me the most. I thought I'd be safe with a Duvel one night out, I was wrong.
I always wanted to rub hops in my hands and enjoy the aroma like Jim Cook in the Boston Lager commercials, until I had the chance to try it one time. Hops smell like skunk @$$ to me. I haven't smelled all of the kinds, but of the ones I have, I can't tell the difference between any of them. They have all smelled horrible. And they leave nasty garbage in the kettle and fermentor. Nasty snot green turds!
 
My brother in law (who would agree vehemently with the OP!!!) gave me a book on wine (still not sure why, I'm NOT a wine drinker, but I digress). There was a GREAT quote in that book that I try to live my life by regarding tasting wine and developing a palate. The parallel that the author drew was you can eat McDonalds and you may really enjoy it but you need to know that it is NOT a good burger. You might try a super fancy Kobe beef/blue cheese burger that isn't your taste but you need to be able to appreciate it as a 'good' burger. That being said tastes do differ.
It's been said (and it's been said that this thread has been said, department of redundancy department!) but I'd try to find a nice fresh IPA, whether it is a local homebrew or local bar. The difference can be staggering!
 
I used to HATE IPA's. The taste reminded me of the taste you get when you lick an envelope to seal it. I went to a music festival over the summer (Floydfest) where you bought a stainless steel pint for $6 and beer tickets for $5 each which could be redeemed anywhere at the festival on craft beers (they only served craft beers and cider and wine at this festival). So for the most part all there was to drink was IPA (though I had a wheat beer or two, a SN Summerfest, etc). IPA started to grow on me. Over the holiday season someone handed me a SN Celebration ale and i thoroughly enjoyed it. This was the moment I realized I actually liked IPA. So since then I have been exploring IPA a lot and I plan on brewing a few soon.

IPA's are great but I sometimes have a hard time drinking more than 3 or 4 of them in an evening.
 
snwbrd40oz said:
The parallel that the author drew was you can eat McDonalds and you may really enjoy it but you need to know that it is NOT a good burger. You might try a super fancy Kobe beef/blue cheese burger that isn't your taste but you need to be able to appreciate it as a 'good' burger. That being said tastes do differ.
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There are great "basic" burgers and terrible "gourmet" burgers.

In-n-Out, for example, is basic. And it's fantastic. It's the German Kolsch of burgers. Simple ingredients, beautifully layered.

And while Kobe beef and great bleu cheese are wonderful ingredients, if the chef burns the patty or uses an aioli flavor that clashes with the bleu, all the money spent in ingredients are a waste. There are plenty of IPAs, imperial stouts, and barrel-aged barleywines that are full of flavor but end up being a hot mess.
 
That's a fair example.

I really like bleu cheese, but it's easily overdone to the point where it utterly dominates the palate and that's all you can taste, and that meat might be kobe beef or walmart bologna, it really doesn't matter- the end product is unbalanced crap.

Maybe I've been quick to judge IPAs as gag-inducing urine samples based on a few hop-happy examples.
 
I got an IPA kick a couple of years ago and every time I feel like i've had enough and want to stay away for a bit, I find myself with another hop infused slice of foamy heaven. I can't keep away from IPAs. There are so many different variations. Most other ales are bland in comparison. I brewed my first IPA two days ago. Can't wait to try it. My hoise reeks of sweet Cascade hops.
 
I just crawled out of bed 20 minutes ago but a thought occurred to me; hops are somewhat related to marijuana right? Maybe people are addicted to it.

Hop heads = Pot heads?
 
snwbrd40oz said:
The parallel that the author drew was you can eat McDonalds and you may really enjoy it but you need to know that it is NOT a good burger. You might try a super fancy Kobe beef/blue cheese burger that isn't your taste but you need to be able to appreciate it as a 'good' burger.
Click to expand...

Im sorry for the derail, but that is utter elitist claptrap. If you really like McDonalds, that is a good burger for you. Personally, I like the sharp flavor of blue cheese to contrast with the fatty goodness of the burger, but its not for everyone. I know a chef who swears the only appropriate cheese to put on a burger is american.

The same holds for wine, its 90% a matter of taste. Even the experts have difficulty distinguishing the $60 bottle from the $15 bottle in a blind tasting. But some people prefer a bold Cabernet and others want a more mild Pinot Noir and within those, some prefer hints of raisins while others hate it. And to bring this back on point, its also true for beer. Some like stouts, others IPA and still others wheat. Hell if BMC floats your boat, good on ya.

Now, if you want to hold yourself out as an expert, then I strongly encourage you to expand your palate and try different things, even those you expect to dislike, and try to understand what it is that others see in those flavors to enjoy, even if you cannot bring yourself to enjoy it yourself. Also, as many people's experinces in this thread show, while you may not like something now, tastes can change. But this will also better allow you to understand the limits of your own palate and be better able to recognize the likes and dislikes of others. But to have to try something simply because some expert thinks its "good"? Nonesense. Whats good is what you like.
 
widsith said:
Im sorry for the derail, but that is utter elitist claptrap. If you really like McDonalds, that is a good burger for you. Personally, I like the sharp flavor of blue cheese to contrast with the fatty goodness of the burger, but its not for everyone. I know a chef who swears the only appropriate cheese to put on a burger is american.

The same holds for wine, its 90% a matter of taste. Even the experts have difficulty distinguishing the $60 bottle from the $15 bottle in a blind tasting. But some people prefer a bold Cabernet and others want a more mild Pinot Noir and within those, some prefer hints of raisins while others hate it. And to bring this back on point, its also true for beer. Some like stouts, others IPA and still others wheat. Hell if BMC floats your boat, good on ya.

Now, if you want to hold yourself out as an expert, then I strongly encourage you to expand your palate and try different things, even those you expect to dislike, and try to understand what it is that others see in those flavors to enjoy, even if you cannot bring yourself to enjoy it yourself. Also, as many people's experinces in this thread show, while you may not like something now, tastes can change. But this will also better allow you to understand the limits of your own palate and be better able to recognize the likes and dislikes of others. But to have to try something simply because some expert thinks its "good"? Nonesense. Whats good is what you like.
Click to expand...

So sorry to continue the derail here, but please, ask him about Muenster on a Burger. I swear to God it's the best combination I've ever had. That creamy goodness just emphasizes a well crafted burger without adding much flavor of it's own. I'm still amazed that more places that specialize in burgers don't offer Muenster.
 
I'm coming late to this post, but I'm in total agreement with the original topic. I've been bitching to my wife for over a year that I can't wait for the IPA fad to die. We have a local micro-pub. They have 20 taps. 9 are IPAs. Not a single porter on tap. I don't hate IPAs. If they are well balanced I enjoy them (many are not, in my opinion).

But… there is other beer in the world.
 
dkevinb said:
My only complaint about the IPA craze is that it has pretty much eliminated any other style of beer at the local brew pubs. I was into IPA's before they were chic. I like me some hops, though I'm not a huge fan of the big bombs. But I also like variety. We went to our local pub the other night and every single beer on the menu was either an IPA, double IPA, Imperial IPA, or APA. Nothing else at all. It's not quite as bad as going into a bar that has nothing but Bud, Bud Light and Coors Light, but it's disappointing.
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I was going to ask the OP where he lived, and suggest that his problem may be a regional one. Then I saw your post, and it hit me that he must also be on the West Coast. I so wish that I had yours and his problem. This situation absolutely does not exist in Houston. I mean, sure, I can find all the IPAs I want at the liquor store, and there is some selection at the grocery store. But when it comes to going out to eat, I have my few select restaurants that carry a couple of decent beers that I frequent, and all the rest I'm stuck with Shiner Bock as the closest thing to craft beer on the menu. It has almost come to the point where I just order take out so that I can enjoy a good beer at home with my meal.

So now I'm really curious. Does this supposed problem exist all over the US, and in other countries, or are all you guys that can't find beers other than IPAs in or near California and Oregon?
 
TxBigHops said:
So now I'm really curious. Does this supposed problem exist all over the US, and in other countries, or are all you guys that can't find beers other than IPAs in or near California and Oregon?
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I'm in Louisville, KY, and our situation isn't quite that drastic, but it seems the IPA bug has infected most of the other brews available. We stopped in the New Albanian one evening, and everything on the tap list was either IPA/APA or a highly hopped derivative of another style. There were 4 of us and we all got a different brew. The one that I got was the only one in the list with the lowest IBU that wasn't a super OMFG burnt chocolate stout, and it was still balanced more towards the hoppy end. All the other beers we got were hoppy and nasty. My beer was the only one that got drank to the bottom, all the others were left on the table half empty.
Almost all the restaurants are BMC of course, and maybe a Killians or Sam Adams if you're lucky.
 

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