American IPA
A hop-forward American pale ale style built on citrus, pine and tropical American hop varieties over a clean, dry malt base.
About the American IPA style
The American IPA grew out of the craft-brewing revival of the 1980s and 1990s, when brewers on the United States West Coast took the historic English India Pale Ale and rebuilt it around the intense citrus and pine flavours of American hop varieties such as Cascade, Centennial and Columbus.
Where the English original was balanced and earthy, the American version pushes hop aroma and bitterness to the front over a clean, dry malt base. It became the flagship style of American craft beer and the template from which the hazy New England IPA and the double IPA later diverged.
Grain, hops and yeast
Malt and grain: Pale two-row base malt with a light crystal malt for colour and a touch of sweetness, kept dry so the hops lead.
Hop character: Assertive American and New World hops giving citrus, pine, resin and tropical fruit, with late and dry-hop additions for aroma.
Yeast and fermentation: A clean American ale yeast that attenuates well and stays out of the way, letting the hops define the beer.
A typical American IPA runs 5.5 to 7.5% alcohol by volume, with a bitterness of about 40 to 70 IBU and a colour of 6 to 14 SRM. It is traditionally served in a shaker pint or tulip. These figures describe the usual range for the style; a given example may sit a little outside them.
Yeast and fermentation notes
Ferment an American IPA with a clean, well-attenuating American ale yeast in the high teens Celsius so the yeast finishes dry and neutral. A dry finish is what lets the hops read as bitter and aromatic rather than sweet, so mash a little cooler and pitch enough healthy yeast to reach full attenuation.
Serving in brief
An American IPA is served cool rather than cold, around 7 to 10 degrees Celsius, so its hop aroma is not muted. Because hop aroma fades with age, it is a style to pour fresh, which on a home kegging setup means serving it soon after it reaches condition rather than letting it sit for months.
Classic examples
Well-known commercial examples of the style include Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Stone IPA and Russian River Blind Pig. Tasting a benchmark example is the best way to understand what a style should be before brewing your own.
| Vital statistic | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Strength (ABV) | 5.5 to 7.5% |
| Bitterness (IBU) | 40 to 70 |
| Colour (SRM) | 6 to 14 |
| Traditional glass | Shaker pint or tulip |
Typical published ranges. Individual examples vary.
Pick the yeast for a American IPA
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Sources: BJCP Beer Style Guidelines