On the East Coast in the early 2010s, a relatively new beer style had taken the craft beer world by storm, but where did it come from? The hazy IPA originated in New England where brewers began experimenting with ways to create a beer that was both hoppy and hazy. The first hazy IPAs were often called “New England IPAs.” They were characterized by their cloudy appearance, low bitterness, and fruity or citrusy hop aroma. Brewers achieved the haze by using high-protein grains like wheat and oats, and specific brewing techniques like dry hopping and skipping the traditional filtering process. Breweries across the country started brewing their versions of the hazy IPA, each with its unique spin on the style.
Today, hazy IPAs are among the most popular craft beer styles in the United States, despite their relatively short history. This is why the first pick on this month’s list must showcase the power of sticking to the basics. Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze by New Belgium Brewing is packed with bright, tropical aromas and brilliant citrusy flavors – juicy, lightly spicy, with a bit of shortbread and a zesty, tingly, yet firm carbonation. This unfiltered IPA wraps up with a pleasantly smooth finish and a little earthy cologne will emerge as you sit with it and sip away.
Introducing this next hazy IPA is exciting not only as a college basketball fan but also as a huge fan of the creativity coming out of Mirror Twin Brewing Company. This is… Caturhaze! This 5.5% beer features Riwaka and El Dorado hops. Lower ABV and a slightly lighter body make this a quaffable beer for long tailgate days or triple-overtime games. These two hops combine to give you all the fruit notes, including passionfruit, grapefruit, lemon, pear, and stone fruit. Make sure to stock up on this for your go-to game day beverages!
Now what about the raw, the completely unfiltered, the unprocessed? Something to let all the fruit-forward hop flavors shine. The result is a hazy beer with modest bitterness and intense hop character. To some, making an unfiltered hop bomb may seem crazy, but to Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. it’s a “Hazy Little Thing” called IPA. Just on the nose, you wish you could be at the beach for this one. Very tropical. Intense aroma, and juicy. On the mouthfeel and taste, you can get some creaminess up front. Mid-palate has tropical and honeyed fruit sweetness and a pleasant bitterness on the backend that compliments the sweetness of this beer. We are talking a white grapefruit bitterness, and it hangs around for a good while. This beer is very refreshing and packed with fruit and hop flavor.
Hazy IPAs are usually heavily dry-hopped and have low bitterness. These attributes give hazy IPAs a juicier, fruitier flavor than traditional IPAs. This last New England-style IPA is high on the hop flavor and low on bitterness. A love letter to summer, some might say! Fad-tastic by Ethereal Brewing is layered and subtle. This one is aromatic; with strong notes of the tropics followed by some dank-smelling berries. A vast and delicate pineapple, mango, and grapefruit aroma is dominated by citrus and tropical notes. A soft, pillowy mouthfeel complements those aromas. Despite the mild hop bitterness, this New England IPA is very approachable.
If you’re a long-time IPA drinker, you’ve seen the rise… and rise… and rise of the hazy IPA style. It’s grown from a niche interest of the hop-obsessed and those willing to go to great lengths to get their hands on limited beer, and now it’s dominating shelves and draft lines. Hazy IPAs have significantly impacted the craft beer industry. They’ve introduced new brewing techniques and ingredients and helped to popularize the idea that beer doesn’t need to be clear to be delicious. As the craft beer world continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how the hazy IPA style continues to develop and influence the industry. Looking to see the hype for yourself? Lucky for you, here at Mellow Mushroom we have hops for heads and we keep hazy IPAs in stock for the love of the craft. Stop by and try one of these yourself before these cans fly off the shelf!
-by Maeve Black
