Why does everybody think everything is an IPA?

Also, what he said ^

 

And I'll add, "Why do we need "innovation?"

 

That last one has been done. Lots and lots of times.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ipa...:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb

 

I swear, some people like to complain about beer more than drinking it.

Far too many great beers out there to put this much energy into a beer or style you don't like.

Also, IPAs are a very ubiquitous style and makes an excellent descriptor. Rather than creating some confusing new style that causes more questions than answers I can say Belgian IPA, Black IPA and Session IPA and you know what I am talking about based on the context.

 

Hops. If a Brewer uses a heavy hand on hops. It's now an IPA.
I do think it is funny that Goose Island is in a category of English style IPA and was #1 in last GABF. Didn't the English invent the style when they used to ship it via sailboat to India? Heavy hops component would prevent spoiling en route to India from the U.K., blah, blah, blah. Now Goose Island(Budweiser) is the best maker of this style???

 

I'm not a huge IPA fan but Ive come to accept that among hard core beer geeks its mostly going to be IPA related talk. Doesnt really bother me. I drink what I like.

 

Talk about destroying ones own argument! It would be equally, if not more, valid to say that Belgian IPA is the least defensible. If Belgian yeast can be defended in an IPA, every other iteration can also.

Personally, though, I feel we need less named beer styles, not more, so I am okay with broad groupings of beers with similar characteristics

 

Ten years ago or so every American craft brewer was making just about the same thing. Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Golden Ale, maybe an Amber or Wheat Ale. Quality control was usually hit or miss too. Now we can buy a box of SA Hopology with several types of "IPAs" in it. The are other styles that have come around too. Saisons, imperial stouts, strong ales. Now there is an influx of new creative lager styles. Overall quality has improved too. We are living in wonderful times. Unfortunately, most mainstream (chain) bars still don't carry IPAs.

 

I have 17 liters (feel free to convert into gallons) of the most genuine American-Italian-Brazilian-Swiss IPA at my carboy at home... Pure true...

 

I think they were using canoes...

 

BAP=Beer Advocate Problems

You can call it an IPA, or whatever you want. If it's good beer, I'll drink it.

I don't get the whole "hipster beer geek" mentality. I understand we're all here to talk about beer, but ranting on a style just because it became popular doesn't sound like Advocating to me.

IPAs are popular because they're DAMN DELICIOUS and us craft drinkers are always looking for something new. We are lucky to have an industry that responds quickly to customer demand. With all the competition in the craft beer world they have to have a product that stands out, and IPAs are what most of us are demanding these days. If you are sick of them, there is certainly no shortage of other styles to drink.

Fast forward to an identical thread about BBA beers.

End rant rant.

 

Yeah, why do all those craft brewers get to call their beers whatever they want, even if I don't agree with them?

 

If I go to a "bar" that only has mass brands in stock, I actually have no choice.

If I go to a "craft beer bar" that has 20 IPAs and 4 non-IPAs, then I have a choice of 4 beers. If those 4 non-IPAs happen to be Pilseners, then my choice is "unsweet or sweet tea".

Shock horror, people have different tastes. For me, anything IPA is basically undrinkable. So the proliferation of hop bombs (usually, but not always, signified with an "IPA" handle) is resulting in LESS choice of beer for a very large minority of craft beer drinkers.

No, I am not being a "hipster" when I say I can't stand the IPA style any more than I am being a "hipster" when I say I can't stand Pilsner style beers. I simply DO NOT LIKE hop bombs.

 

Because herd-mentality when it comes to buying, dictates product availability and diversity?

Black & Rye IPAs are the flavor of the week, so that's what's out there en masse, until everyone gets sick of them.

 

To keep the tools away from the good beer?

 

"I don't like IPAs and I don't think people should be enjoying them!"

 

So IPAs all have to taste exactly the same or they aren't IPAs?

 

It's all Bert Grant's fault- though I choose to credit him rather than assess blame

 

Because most brewers haven't yet discovered the fact that if they just call their IPA's "pale ales" we will think they are the best pale ales ever due to our love for hops.