What Is an IPA? The Complete Craft Beer Style Guide
If you've ever looked at a craft beer menu and felt overwhelmed by the wall of acronyms — IPA, NEIPA, DIPA, Session IPA, Brut IPA — this article is for you. The India Pale Ale is, without argument, the most popular style in the global craft beer movement. There's a reason for that: it's versatile, aromatic, and comes in so many variations that there's an IPA for every palate.
Let's break it all down, from its history to its subtypes, and how to pick the perfect IPA for your taste.
The origin: why it's called India Pale Ale
The legend goes that 18th-century British brewers needed to ship beer to their colonies in India. The voyage took months, and regular beers didn't survive it. The fix was to load up on hops (a natural preservative) and push the alcohol content higher. That's how a hoppier, stronger, more aromatic pale ale was born: the India Pale Ale.
The real history is a bit messier — beer historians still argue over the details — but the result is the same: a style that puts hops at the center of everything.
What makes an IPA different?
Hops. Everything revolves around hops. While a lager or a wheat beer aim for balance and smoothness, the IPA celebrates the bitterness, aroma, and flavor that different hop varieties bring to the glass.
Depending on the hops used, an IPA can taste like:
- Citrus: grapefruit, orange, lemon, tangerine
- Tropical: mango, passion fruit, pineapple, guava
- Piney/resinous: pine, resin, fresh grass
- Floral: lavender, jasmine, herbs
- Stone fruit: peach, apricot, lychee
IBU (International Bitterness Units) measures bitterness. A standard lager sits at 10-20 IBU. A typical IPA runs 40 to 70. A Double IPA can blow past 100.
The IPA types you should know
West Coast IPA — the American classic
Born in California, this is the IPA that started it all. Crystal clear, dry, sharply bitter, with grapefruit and pine on the nose. If you want to know what an IPA is in its purest form, start here. It's blunt, no disguises, and it splits the room: you either love it or find it too bitter.
At Rock N Hopz we always have several West Coast IPAs on the menu, both bottled and on tap.
NEIPA / Hazy IPA — the hazy revolution
The New England IPA rewrote the rulebook. Born in Vermont in the early 2010s, it's cloudy (hence "hazy"), with a juicy, creamy body and a bitterness far softer than its West Coast cousin.
The flavor is tropical: mango, passion fruit, pineapple. The texture feels like fruit juice with alcohol. It's the perfect gateway for people who don't love bitterness but still want to try craft beer.
Fun fact: The haze isn't a flaw — it comes from wheat/oat proteins and the hop oils added during dry hopping.
Session IPA — lower ABV, same flavor
Love IPAs but don't want 7% alcohol at three in the afternoon? Session IPA is your answer. It keeps the hoppy aromas and flavors but drops the ABV to 3-5%. Perfect for long sessions (hence the name) without losing your head.
Double / Imperial IPA (DIPA / IIPA)
The opposite extreme: more hops, more malt, more alcohol. Usually between 7.5% and 10% ABV. Intense, complex, and not for casual drinkers. The best way to understand just how powerful hops can be.
Milkshake IPA
Adds lactose (milk sugar) for a creamy, sweet body. Often brewed with vanilla and fruit. It's basically a milkshake with alcohol — sounds odd, works surprisingly well.
Brut IPA
Ultra dry and fizzy, almost like a hopped champagne. Uses enzymes to ferment out nearly all the sugar, leaving a light body and a crisp finish. The newest, most experimental style on this list.
How to pick your IPA by taste
If you like it bitter and blunt: West Coast IPA.
If you prefer something smooth and fruity: NEIPA / Hazy IPA.
If you want to ease into it: Session IPA (lower ABV).
If you're after maximum intensity: Double IPA.
If you're into sweet and creamy: Milkshake IPA.
If you want something dry and refreshing: Brut IPA.
IPAs you can try at Rock N Hopz
Our menu of 286 beers includes dozens of IPAs across every subtype. A few team favorites:
- On tap we're always rotating fresh IPAs — ask what's pouring this week when you get here
- Belgian, American, Canarian — we carry IPAs from 12+ different countries
- Not sure where to start? Use our flavor wheel to find your ideal profile
And if after all this you still don't know what to order, just come up to the bar and tell us what flavors you like. That's what we're here for: helping you find your next favorite beer.
Rock N Hopz — C. Hernán Cortés 2, La Tejita, Tenerife. Monday to Sunday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). Get directions →
