IPA popularity

Question:

Answer:

 

Because the current iteration of the "craft beer world" has as its epicenter the USA...and the American IPA is a beer we have more or less perfected -- and that has since found admirers the world over and should remain our lasting contribution to world brewing. What's more, the American (DI)PA has accomplished this all in the matter of around 25 years. Pretty impressive...and IMO deserving of popularity.

 

most IPA's i try seem to be similar. Only a few (Bells, for one) are unique. Double/Imperial IPA's are where the action is. Try Surly's Abrasive Ale (MN).

 

A good deal of people like bitter, citrusy beers.

Why has the "fancy coffee" scene exploded in the last X years? A good deal of people like bitter, citrusy coffees.

This is not some Illuminati shit, people vote with their wallets.

 

Because they are soooo good when done right, and easily deliver a fast hop fix that many of us crave.

They used to be my least favorite style starting out (I was all about smooth malt) but then my palate got used to hops over a weekend of drinking various 21st ammendment ipas and I've been hooked since.

 

Sympathize with Op. Sucks to go to a bar and half the taps are IPAs.

 

IPAs are SO HOT right now. IPAs...

 

I agree!
1::1::1
local+/fresh IIPA::Russian or Imp Stout::Wild Ale

 

In your mind, maybe.

 

Because IPA's are good and tasty.

 

Maybe because the macros don't make that style

 

I LOOOOOOOOVE IPA's. That said, I've had a lot of mediocre IPAs that I never want to waste calories/beer drinking time or money on again. In such a swarm of IPAs that the market has presented us, there is a lot to choose from. This means a tiny percentage of exceptional, a fair amount of good, a whole lot of average, and quite a bit of crap. I, for one, am up to the challenge of categorizing that which I have the pleasure of trying.

And I'd actuallly disagree...I'd say that ambers are the flagship of everywhere. Most people have a flagship IPA, or at the least a pale ale. EVERYone seems to have a flagship amber. I'd MUCH rather drink a pretty good IPA over a pretty good amber.

I would agree that the USA has done some impressive stuff with the IPA style. I know it's reasonably unfashionable to approve of anything that 'Merica does correctly, but Ol Glory seems to have very hoppy ales of the pale-ish color reasonably well developed.

I would personally rather drink a decent IPA over a decent barrel-aged anything, decent sour, decent amber, decent American wheat, etc. IPAs are popular because they are tasty.

 

As a couple posters have said already, they're popular because they taste good. That's pretty much it.

 

Hey! You're still here!

 

I second this. 95% of the IPAs I've consumed have tasted so similar (and I have tasted A LOT of IPAs), in fact they are almost identical. The majority of them have piney, citrus, and grapefruit flavors. I have tried many double/imperial IPAs, but not as many as IPAs so I can't express an opinion about them. I love IPAs, but I do think they are only trendy right now and another beer style will come along and intrigue the masses, IMO.

 

I work at a beer store/beer bar in Seattle. We try to keep 1/3 of our taps on IPA because IPA kegs are cheap, approachable and they turnover faster than other beer styles. Every time I try a new awesome IPA I think "Well add it to the list on 1,000 other good IPAs" Very rarely am I BLOWN AWAY by the style. IPA is a style that can be consumed casually. It's like the light lager of craft beer

 

Trendy/Too many styles? I think the whole "over hopped so it can make it to India" story behind it has a lot to do with it. New craft drinkers are always telling me the origin of IPA. I personally enjoyed the history of Trappist and think that got me into craft. Well, that and Two Hearted.

 

IPAs are easy to love and easy to understand. Plus they can be really aggressive and that falls into the whole beer drinker macho stereotype that so many people love. The beer equivalent of ridiculously huge zinfandel or peatastic Islay whisky.

 

You really have to be a fuk up to make an undrinkable IPA. Most of the micro brewers can produce an IPA that's fair to good while almost all their other stuff is a bore.