East Coast IPA

Sometimes called “juicy” or “hazy,” the East Coast IPA is a bit of a moving target, since every brewer seems to have their own take on it. The one thing all these diverse beers have in common, though, is that they’re always perfect for summer.

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The beer that kicked off the “haze craze” was the “Heady Topper,” an esoteric unfiltered ale with distinct citrus and tropical fruit notes that was in regular rotation at The Alchemist, a beloved brewpub near Stowe, Vermont. When Hurricane Irene badly damaged the micro-brewery in 2011, its owner started canning Heady Topper to raise money for the rebuild. It was a hit, obviously. Within a few years, brewers across North America had embraced the East Coast IPA to the point that it started to eclipse the West Coast IPA, the original star of the India Pale Ale scene.

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Considerably less bitter than its super-dry and pine-forward cousin from the West Coast, the East Coast IPA is known for its complex, yet approachable, flavour profile and the balance it strikes between deep malty sweetness and subtle bitter notes. It’s the in-your-face tropical, citrus and stone fruit aromas and taste, though, that truly define this style. Those novel flavours also led to people calling it “juicy,” since many craft beer fans have noted that drinking an East Coast IPA reminds them of eating fresh, ripe fruit. As a rule, they also have an impressive depth of flavour and are soft, smooth and full-bodied, to the point of being described as “velvety.”

Sip them with
Since East Coast IPAs are often alive with bright aromatics that can wake up a palate, this beer is born to be paired with appetizers. Although the citrus notes help to cut the fat, this ale is better with lighter fare, such as small plates of white anchovies and olives; dim sum dumplings and bao; spicy eggplant dips with pita or fresh and zesty fish ceviche made with plenty of lime. The East Coast IPA is a very good answer to the question of what to pair with tapas meals, meze spreads or pretty much any occasion where all the courses are served up on cheese boards.

Serving tips
Official East Coast IPA beer glasses have a very small base and a wide mouth, which makes it easier to appreciate the bold aroma and all the novel flavour dimensions, but really, any ale glass will do the trick. Since there’s a lot to discover in this ale, it’s best to serve it at about seven degrees Celsius, so take it out of the fridge and let it warm up for 20 minutes before serving. Even more so than many other styles, fresh is best with East Coast IPAs, so look to local breweries whenever possible — and take care not to let it fade away at the back of the cellar.

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Beer FAQs

What is craft beer?

Craft beer is made by small-scale breweries, often independently owned, that practise traditional artisanal brewing techniques to create authentic and uniquely flavourful beers. These craft brewers may focus on either classic or lesser-known styles of traditional beer, or create innovative new modern brews.

How many calories are in a beer?

A standard 340-millilitre or 12-ounce beer that has five per cent alcohol by volume has about 150 calories. Styles of beer that contain more alcohol, such as IPAs, have more calories — up to 170. Light beers, which have less alcohol, have around 100 calories. While darker beers sometimes have a higher alcohol content and therefore more calories, that’s not always the case: consider Guinness Draught, a dark stout, which has just over four per cent alcohol by volume and 125 calories per 12 ounces.

How many beers are in a keg?

Most standard North American kegs hold 58.7 litres: in terms of standard 340-millilitre or 12-ounce bottles or cans, that’s 165 servings; if you’re counting by 16-ounce pints, its 124 servings. European beers often come in 50-litre kegs, yielding 140 340-millilitre glasses or 105 pints. Smaller 30-litre kegs (sometimes called “pony kegs”) give 82 standard beers or 62 pints. Mini-kegs (Heineken, for example) hold five litres: that’s about 10 pints or 14 glasses.

How is beer made?

All beer is made with four key ingredients: barley (or other grains), water, hops and yeast. First, barley is malted (meaning the grains are sprouted and then kiln-dried) to get ready for brewing. The malt is then mashed, or cooked with warm water, to create a sugary liquid called wort. The wort is boiled with flavouring hops, and then in the final step, it’s fermented with yeast, which creates the alcohol and finished beer.

There are many different styles and regional traditions of brewing, but to simplify, they basically fall into two categories: for ale, the beer is stored at room temperature while the yeast feeds on the sugar in the wort and produces CO2 and alcohol as by-products; for lager, fermentation is the same, but it happens at cooler temperatures so the process takes a little longer

How long does beer last?

Check for an expiry or best-before date on bottles and cans: “best” is best when consumed fresh. Bottles and cans stored at room temperature are safe to drink for at least four months after purchase and up to eight months when it’s stored in the refrigerator or a cool place. Draft or craft beer stored in a glass bottle keeps for two or three days in the refrigerator when tightly capped. And remember, keep beer away from light: it can develop a “skunky” flavour from a chemical reaction to UV light, which is why it’s usually packaged in cans or dark glass bottles.

What is beer made of?

Most beer is made from just barley, water, hops and yeast. That’s all! Each ingredient contributes to the beer’s flavour, as do the specifics of the production process. Some brewers may use other grains, such as corn, rye, rice, wheat or even oats, to produce different types of beer. Some styles even incorporate additional flavouring ingredients, including fruits and herbs.