Ready to explore?
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.
You may taste
Hops! Specifically Cascade hops, which essentially define this style and impart a zesty, spicy flavour profile and a potent hit of citrusy grapefruit. West Coast IPAs also usually make use of other hops, such as Chinook, Centennial, Columbus and Citra, so you can expect a range of notes, including sharp pine, resin and other “green” flavours, as well as lemon and orange oils. Often as not, this full-bodied beer has a bitter edge, which is balanced out with a rich malty sweetness that usually has a distinct caramel taste and somehow manages to bring all these extreme flavours together.
Sip them with
Most West Coast IPAs are higher in alcohol than a lot of beers, and the very strongest are a challenge to pair with food. A surprising number of slightly lighter expressions are brilliant matches with certain foods, however, especially rich and spicy Thai and Indian dishes. Drinking complex hoppy ale with hot food may have been the beer pairing nobody saw coming but, once people tweaked to it, serving West Coast IPAs with everything from coconut ginger chicken soup to fish curries from southern India really caught on. And, if that’s not your jam, it’s worth mentioning that you can’t go wrong with a West Coast IPA and plate of buffalo chicken wings.
Serving tips
Given that it’s one of the world’s most popular beer styles, it’s hardly surprising that the West Coast IPA has its own glass—specially designed to show off all the wild aromas and flavours. If you can’t track one down, though, any pint glass with a narrow base that allows you to nose the top will be just fine. And since you’re drinking it for its complexity, serving it at 10 degrees or so—much warmer than most beer is served—is practically mandatory. Cold temperatures tamp down the flavour of this character-rich beer.

Strong, bold and often bitter, California’s West Coast IPA craze helped fortify the craft beer movement and inspire hop-forward beers the world over.