Why Are IPA's So Popular?

IPA is fabulous - but why the fascination with making it extra strong in the US? British IPA's (they invented it when India was under British rule) are 3-4% generally and a classic everyday beer. No snobbery involved at all!

Because they are ******* delicious.

I love a cold ipa with some grilled meats in the summer. ****

Originally Posted by Brian278

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Because they are ******* delicious.

+1. I think I enjoy good, intensely-hoppy IPAs because the aroma and taste often reminds of carefully cultivated sticky icky.

Most likely since it has a very unique taste. Once you have an IPA, you immediately recognize the taste.

That said, I don't know of anyone who's obsessed with IPA, it's just one of the beers that people serious about beer enjoy.

Originally Posted by Flambeur

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Most likely since it has a very unique taste. Once you have an IPA, you immediately recognize the taste.

That said, I don't know of anyone who's obsessed with IPA, it's just one of the beers that people serious about beer enjoy.

Now you do.

I recently judged a bbq contest at the harpoon brewery and tried my first ipa there. I found it DNPIM...I guess it must be an acquired taste.

I also love a good IPA but cannot stand the one-upsmanship associated witht the super hoppiness like the Dogfish 120. the Dogfish-60, on the other hand, is quite quite good.

Interestingly, my gateway beer into the non-piss/water beer (coors, buds) was actually Belgian (chimay)

Originally Posted by Brian278

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Because they are ******* delicious.

DING DING DING!

I started drinking IPA in London and stuck with it. Great summer beer.

It's pure preference. If you don't like it, you should definitely not drink it, there are a million types of beer out there and you shouldn't waste time on beers you dislike.

I like IPAs or PAs for several reasons

-I find porters/stouts/bocks a touch too much on the "mmm this is like chocolate beer!" side.
-I think slightly bitter, crisp beers go better with food, especially pub food
-I like high alcohol content, IPAs with high ABV are pretty common
-IPAs are also interesting enough to drink completely on their own, which I can't really say for something like a lager. Unless it is bloody hot weather.

Here's a real life example. My costco gets some pretty good quality beers in boxes. I have tried the Sam Adams variety pack, the Biersch variety pack, the Mendocino pack, the Spatens, the rogues, etc. I always find myself going back to the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale which they always have in stock.

Originally Posted by Brad

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+1. I think I enjoy good, intensely-hoppy IPAs because the aroma and taste often reminds of carefully cultivated sticky icky.

The two do go well together....

Originally Posted by Tarmac

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It's pure preference. If you don't like it, you should definitely not drink it, there are a million types of beer out there and you shouldn't waste time on beers you dislike. I like IPAs or PAs for several reasons -I find porters/stouts/bocks a touch too much on the "mmm this is like chocolate beer!" side. -I think slightly bitter, crisp beers go better with food, especially pub food -I like high alcohol content, IPAs with high ABV are pretty common -IPAs are also interesting enough to drink completely on their own, which I can't really say for something like a lager. Unless it is bloody hot weather. Here's a real life example. My costco gets some pretty good quality beers in boxes. I have tried the Sam Adams variety pack, the Biersch variety pack, the Mendocino pack, the Spatens, the rogues, etc. I always find myself going back to the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale which they always have in stock.
Hey, me too!

IPAs can be delicious. I like them occasionally, though they are not my favorite style.

I do think that their enjoyment is heightened among a certain segment because they are so strong that the taste is too much for non-serious beer drinkers.
We can chalk that up to a +1 for those saying "snob appeal".

The "hop arms race" does get a bit out-of-hand though. A perfect beer, in my mind, is a nice balance of many flavors, not just bitterness

Originally Posted by jdstur

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IPA is fabulous - but why the fascination with making it extra strong in the US? British IPA's (they invented it when India was under British rule) are 3-4% generally and a classic everyday beer. No snobbery involved at all!

That's because beer was drank everyday all the time. High alcohol contents were unnecessary but beer (and the added hops) were required to prevent water spoilage and contamination. India Pale Ale is called as such because extra hops were added to beer so that it could make the long journey home on the ship from Indian ports to British ports due to the hops acting as a natural antiseptic.

I can't stand the hop overload on some of the crazy IPAs, but a good Sierra Nevada is refreshingly balanced and for some reason, always on sale.