American IPA

What is American IPA? 

The resurgence of IPA began in the USA, and today, American IPA is the most common type of IPA. When someone talks about IPA, this is likely the beer they are referring to.

American IPA is strong, full-bodied, and bitter. It is characterized by the floral, fruity, citrusy, piney, or resinous flavour of American hops.

Dry hopping is often used in brewing, meaning hops are added after fermentation and before the beer is bottled. This enhances the hop aroma and flavour of the beer without increasing its bitterness.

Origin Story

American IPA is the superstar of the craft beer world, born in the USA. American IPA, or A-IPA, was one of the first beers to emerge in the wave of homebrewing in the 1980s and quickly became extremely popular due to its rich aroma and flavour.

A-IPA was inspired by the historical IPAs of the 18th and 19th centuries, which were also strong and hoppy. A-IPA started as a regular Indian pale ale, with variations such as rich dry-hopping and the use of multiple types of hops coming a little later. 

Today, all kinds of IPAs remain very popular, and American-style IPA is the beer style many homebrewers try to make as their first attempt.