Table Of Contents

IPA 101

Last Updated: December 9, 2024

The IPA is the most popular craft beer style thanks to it’s bold, bitter, and fruity hop flavor. It seems like every craft brewery has their own take on the style, but what is IPA? First off, IPA stands for India Pale Ale. Some of the most talked about beers in the American craft beer movement are IPAs, and for good reason.

But why are IPAs so bitter? Well, they aren’t all over hopped and bitter. The best IPAs are both hop forward and balanced with citrus and tropical fruit flavors. VinePair’s narrowed down some of the best IPAs out there. If you find one you like drink it fast though, because yes, IPAs do expire.

Read Our Full India Pale Ale 101 Guide

Popular IPA Brands

9 Things You Should Know About Maine Beer Company
9 Things You Should Know About Maine Beer Company
10 Things You Should Know About Sierra Nevada Brewing
10 Things You Should Know About Sierra Nevada Brewing
10 Things You Should Know About Other Half Brewing
10 Things You Should Know About Other Half Brewing
14 Things You Need to Know About Heady Topper
14 Things You Need to Know About Heady Topper
9 Things You Should Know About Stone Brewing
9 Things You Should Know About Stone Brewing
9 Things You Should Know About Collective Arts Brewing
9 Things You Should Know About Collective Arts Brewing
11 Things You Should Know About Firestone Walker Brewing Company
11 Things You Should Know About Firestone Walker Brewing Company
11 Things You Should Know About Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
11 Things You Should Know About Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
11 Things You Should Know About Cigar City Brewing
11 Things You Should Know About Cigar City Brewing
9 Things You Should Know About Creature Comforts Brewing
9 Things You Should Know About Creature Comforts Brewing
11 Things You Should Know About Russian River Brewing
11 Things You Should Know About Russian River Brewing
11 Things You Should Know About Anchor Brewing
11 Things You Should Know About Anchor Brewing
10 Things You Should Know About Deschutes Brewery
10 Things You Should Know About Deschutes Brewery
10 Things You Should Know About Kona Brewing Co.
10 Things You Should Know About Kona Brewing Co.
10 Things You Should Know About Rogue Ales
10 Things You Should Know About Rogue Ales

The Best Bottles Of IPA To Buy

The 30 Best Beers, Hard Seltzers, and RTDs for Spring (2022)
The 30 Best Beers, Hard Seltzers, and RTDs for Spring (2022)
The 25 Most Important IPAs Right Now, Ranked (2021)
The 25 Most Important IPAs Right Now, Ranked (2021)
10 of the Best Hazy and Juicy IPAs You Can Buy Year-Round (2021)
10 of the Best Hazy and Juicy IPAs You Can Buy Year-Round (2021)
15 Essential Super Bowl Beer Pairings
15 Essential Super Bowl Beer Pairings
18 of the Best Low-Calorie, Low-Alcohol Beers, Tasted and Ranked
18 of the Best Low-Calorie, Low-Alcohol Beers, Tasted and Ranked
Taste the Rainbow: 12 Pride Beers That Support LGBTQ Causes
Taste the Rainbow: 12 Pride Beers That Support LGBTQ Causes
8 More Nationally Available Hazy IPAs Worth Drinking
8 More Nationally Available Hazy IPAs Worth Drinking
9 of Our Favorite Nondenominational Winter Beers, Tasted and Ranked
9 of Our Favorite Nondenominational Winter Beers, Tasted and Ranked
Popping (Beer) Bottles: 9 of the Best Brut IPAs, Ranked
Popping (Beer) Bottles: 9 of the Best Brut IPAs, Ranked
Eight of the Best New England-Style IPAs Available Nationally
Eight of the Best New England-Style IPAs Available Nationally
Six Charitably-Minded Beers to Drink for a Good Cause
Six Charitably-Minded Beers to Drink for a Good Cause
7 of the Best Coffee Beers to Drink From Dusk ‘Til Dawn
7 of the Best Coffee Beers to Drink From Dusk ‘Til Dawn

IPA Infographics & Maps

The Highest-Rated Beer in Every State (2024) [MAP]
The Highest-Rated Beer in Every State (2024) [MAP]
The Complete Guide to Pairing Beer and Wings [Infographic]
The Complete Guide to Pairing Beer and Wings [Infographic]
The Highest-Rated Beer in Every State (2023) [MAP]
The Highest-Rated Beer in Every State (2023) [MAP]
The Most Common Hops in Hazy IPAs [Infographic]
The Most Common Hops in Hazy IPAs [Infographic]
The Highest-Rated Beer in Every State (2022) [MAP]
The Highest-Rated Beer in Every State (2022) [MAP]
The Highest-Rated Beer in Every State [MAP]
The Highest-Rated Beer in Every State [MAP]
The States Where Beer Drinkers Love IPA the Most [Map]
The States Where Beer Drinkers Love IPA the Most [Map]
The Ultimate Guide to Pairing Doughnuts and Beer [INFOGRAPHIC]
The Ultimate Guide to Pairing Doughnuts and Beer [INFOGRAPHIC]
The Ultimate IPA Flavor Map (INFOGRAPHIC)
The Ultimate IPA Flavor Map (INFOGRAPHIC)

Recent Articles About IPA

This Sierra Nevada IPA Is Its Most Exclusive Release Ever — Here’s How to Get It
This Sierra Nevada IPA Is Its Most Exclusive Release Ever — Here’s How to Get It
Midwest, Mountain, and Northleft: Meet the Latest Regional IPA Styles
Midwest, Mountain, and Northleft: Meet the Latest Regional IPA Styles
Every Voodoo Ranger IPA, Tasted and Ranked
Every Voodoo Ranger IPA, Tasted and Ranked
The Highest-Rated IPA in Every State (2024) [MAP]
The Highest-Rated IPA in Every State (2024) [MAP]
The Evolution of the IPA, from 19th Century England to Now
The Evolution of the IPA, from 19th Century England to Now
Are You Drinking Your IPAs Too Fresh?
Are You Drinking Your IPAs Too Fresh?
Taplines: How Cold IPA Got Hot
Taplines: How Cold IPA Got Hot
The Mount Rushmore of IPAs, According to 8 Beer Experts
The Mount Rushmore of IPAs, According to 8 Beer Experts
We Asked 6 Brewers: What’s the Most Underrated Hazy IPA?
We Asked 6 Brewers: What’s the Most Underrated Hazy IPA?
Taplines: Why Brut IPA Never Hit It Big
Taplines: Why Brut IPA Never Hit It Big
We Asked 7 Brewers: What’s the Most Overrated Hazy IPA?
We Asked 7 Brewers: What’s the Most Overrated Hazy IPA?
Brut Busts and Brett Who? The Next Big IPA Sub-Styles That Never Were
Brut Busts and Brett Who? The Next Big IPA Sub-Styles That Never Were
Ask a Brewer: What Are Cryo Hops and What Do They Do in IPAs?
Ask a Brewer: What Are Cryo Hops and What Do They Do in IPAs?
Hazy IPAs Aren’t Over, They’ve Just Found Equilibrium
Hazy IPAs Aren’t Over, They’ve Just Found Equilibrium
The Highest-Rated IPA in Every State (2023) [MAP]
The Highest-Rated IPA in Every State (2023) [MAP]
What Is a Cold IPA?
What Is a Cold IPA?
The Most Popular IPA in the Country Is Voodoo Ranger. So Is the Second.
The Most Popular IPA in the Country Is Voodoo Ranger. So Is the Second.
The Hottest New Hop Combinations for IPAs
The Hottest New Hop Combinations for IPAs
Why Citra and Mosaic Hops Are the Beer Industry’s Power Couple
Why Citra and Mosaic Hops Are the Beer Industry’s Power Couple
Taplines: At Dogfish Head, the Imperial IPA Is Born
Taplines: At Dogfish Head, the Imperial IPA Is Born
Death By Hops: Triple IPAs Are Pointless and Gross
Death By Hops: Triple IPAs Are Pointless and Gross
New Belgium Purchases Virginia Brewery to Boost Voodoo Ranger Production
New Belgium Purchases Virginia Brewery to Boost Voodoo Ranger Production
The ABVolution: Why Higher-Alcohol Beers Are Huge Right Now
The ABVolution: Why Higher-Alcohol Beers Are Huge Right Now
No-Boil Beer Makes for a More Sustainable (and Hazy) IPA
No-Boil Beer Makes for a More Sustainable (and Hazy) IPA
Ask a Beer Pro: What Makes Hazy IPAs Hazy?
Ask a Beer Pro: What Makes Hazy IPAs Hazy?
An Ode to Snake Handler, Good People, and the Advocates Who Brought Stronger Beer to Alabama
An Ode to Snake Handler, Good People, and the Advocates Who Brought Stronger Beer to Alabama
The VinePair Podcast: Exploring the Phenomenon of Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing
The VinePair Podcast: Exploring the Phenomenon of Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing
The Highest-Rated IPA in Every State (2022) [MAP]
The Highest-Rated IPA in Every State (2022) [MAP]
Meet ‘Hop Reach,’ Allagash’s First IPA Available Year-Round
Meet ‘Hop Reach,’ Allagash’s First IPA Available Year-Round
Is Ube, the Filipino Staple, the Next Trend in Beer?
Is Ube, the Filipino Staple, the Next Trend in Beer?
Bar Hops: Craft Chocolate Discovers Beer’s Trendiest Ingredient
Bar Hops: Craft Chocolate Discovers Beer’s Trendiest Ingredient
Craft Beer NFTs Are Perhaps Uniquely Primed to Deliver on the Ever-Elusive ‘Community.’ So What Could Go Wrong?
Craft Beer NFTs Are Perhaps Uniquely Primed to Deliver on the Ever-Elusive ‘Community.’ So What Could Go Wrong?
These Are The Best Beers On Earth, According to the 2022 World Beer Cup
These Are The Best Beers On Earth, According to the 2022 World Beer Cup
7 of the Best New IPAs for 2022
7 of the Best New IPAs for 2022
Is the Cold IPA the Next Frontier of the Hazy IPA?
Is the Cold IPA the Next Frontier of the Hazy IPA?
We Asked 16 Beer Pros: What’s the Next Big Beer Style?
We Asked 16 Beer Pros: What’s the Next Big Beer Style?
Our Most Popular Stories of the Year (2021)
Our Most Popular Stories of the Year (2021)
Holiday Ales Gone Hazy: The Rise of Winter-Themed IPAs
Holiday Ales Gone Hazy: The Rise of Winter-Themed IPAs
The Highest-Rated IPA in Every State [MAP]
The Highest-Rated IPA in Every State [MAP]
How Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing Took the Haze Craze National
How Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing Took the Haze Craze National
You Can Smell the Hops Before You Drink Dogfish Head’s New Scratch and Sniff Hoppy Variety Pack
You Can Smell the Hops Before You Drink Dogfish Head’s New Scratch and Sniff Hoppy Variety Pack
Four Seasons Total Landscaping Trolls Giuliani With New Beer, ‘Lawn Jawn’ IPA
Four Seasons Total Landscaping Trolls Giuliani With New Beer, ‘Lawn Jawn’ IPA
Ask Adam: Can I Drink Hazy IPA if I’m Lactose Intolerant?
Ask Adam: Can I Drink Hazy IPA if I’m Lactose Intolerant?
We Asked 14 Brewers: What Are the Best IPAs for Beginners?
We Asked 14 Brewers: What Are the Best IPAs for Beginners?
Crushing on Citra: The High-Impact Hop in Your Favorite IPA
Crushing on Citra: The High-Impact Hop in Your Favorite IPA