IPA Beer Collection
Discover the bold, hop-forward world of India Pale Ale, craft beer's most popular and diverse style. Our collection showcases exceptional West Coast IPAs, juicy New England hazy IPAs, powerful double IPAs, and innovative IPA variations from world-renowned breweries, offering outstanding quality at great value prices.
The IPA Story
India Pale Ale represents modern craft brewing's signature style, characterised by pronounced hop aroma, flavour, and bitterness balanced by quality malt. The style originated in 18th-century England, where brewers created heavily hopped pale ales designed to survive the long sea voyage to India. The extra hops acted as a preservative whilst creating a distinctively bitter, aromatic beer.
Modern IPA has evolved dramatically from its historical roots, particularly in the United States and Australia, where craft brewers have reimagined the style with bold American and Australian hop varieties, innovative brewing techniques, and creative interpretations. Today's IPAs range from crisp, bitter West Coast styles to soft, juicy New England hazies, united by their celebration of hop character.
Key IPA Brewing Regions
California, USA – The birthplace of American IPA, California's craft beer revolution in the 1980s-90s established the West Coast IPA template. Breweries in San Diego, the Bay Area, and throughout the state pioneered the use of bold American hops (Cascade, Centennial, Chinook) creating IPAs with pronounced bitterness, citrus and pine aromatics, and crystal-clear appearance.
California's Mediterranean climate—warm, dry summers and mild winters—influenced the development of refreshing, highly drinkable IPAs designed for year-round enjoyment. The state's hop-growing regions, particularly Yakima Valley in neighbouring Washington, provide access to premium American hop varieties.
Pacific Northwest, USA – Washington and Oregon's cool, wet climate creates ideal conditions for hop cultivation, making the region the epicentre of American hop production. The Yakima Valley produces over 75% of America's hops, including iconic varieties like Cascade, Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe.
Pacific Northwest breweries developed the West Coast IPA style, emphasising aggressive hop bitterness, resinous pine and citrus character, and bone-dry finish. The region's soft water and quality ingredients create IPAs of remarkable clarity and hop expression.
New England, USA – Vermont and Massachusetts breweries revolutionised IPA in the 2010s, creating the New England IPA (NEIPA) or Hazy IPA style. This approach emphasises hop aroma over bitterness, creating soft, juicy, fruit-forward IPAs with cloudy appearance and smooth mouthfeel.
The style emerged from brewers experimenting with late-addition hopping, biotransformation, and adjunct grains (wheat, oats) that create haze and body. New England's craft beer culture embraced these innovative, approachable IPAs, sparking a global trend.
Victoria, Australia – Melbourne and regional Victoria have become Australia's IPA capital, producing world-class examples that showcase Australian hop varieties. The state's temperate climate (averaging 14-20°C), quality water, and thriving craft beer scene create ideal conditions for hop-forward brewing.
Victorian breweries pioneered the use of Australian hops—particularly Galaxy, Vic Secret, and Ella—creating IPAs with distinctive tropical fruit, passionfruit, and stone fruit character. The Yarra Valley's hop farms and Melbourne's innovative brewing culture have established Australia as a global IPA powerhouse.
Western Australia – Perth and surrounding regions produce distinctive IPAs that balance American influences with Australian hop character, creating beers suited to the state's warm climate and outdoor lifestyle.
IPA Styles
West Coast IPA – The classic American IPA style, West Coast IPAs feature brilliant clarity, pronounced hop bitterness (50-70 IBU), and assertive hop aroma and flavour. These beers showcase American hops' citrus, pine, and resinous character, balanced by clean malt backbone and bone-dry finish.
West Coast IPAs typically range from 6-7.5% ABV with pale gold to amber colour. The style emphasises hop expression through generous kettle additions and dry-hopping, creating beers with intense aromatics and substantial bitterness. Sierra Nevada Torpedo exemplifies this classic style.
New England IPA / Hazy IPA (NEIPA) – A revolutionary approach to IPA, NEIPAs feature cloudy appearance from suspended yeast and proteins, soft mouthfeel from wheat and oats, and juicy, fruit-forward hop character with minimal bitterness. These beers emphasise late-addition and dry-hopping techniques that maximise hop aroma whilst minimising bitterness.
Expect intense tropical fruit, citrus, and stone fruit aromatics (mango, passionfruit, peach, orange) with smooth, almost creamy texture. The style has gained enormous popularity for its approachable, juice-like character and bold flavour despite moderate bitterness (30-50 IBU). Rocky Ridge, Mr Banks, and Good Land produce exceptional Australian examples.
Double IPA / Imperial IPA (DIPA/IIPA) – Amplified versions of IPA featuring elevated alcohol (7.5-10%+ ABV), intense hop character, and substantial malt backbone to support the increased bitterness and alcohol. Double IPAs showcase extreme hop aromatics and flavours, often using multiple hop varieties and generous dry-hopping.
The style exists in both West Coast (clear, bitter) and hazy (soft, juicy) interpretations. Expect powerful hop presence, warming alcohol, and full body. These beers are designed for contemplative sipping rather than session drinking.
Triple IPA (TIPA) – The most extreme IPA variant, triple IPAs push alcohol (10-12%+ ABV) and hop character to the limit. These beers feature intense hop aromatics, substantial sweetness to balance alcohol and hops, and full, warming body. FrauGruber's offerings exemplify this bold style.
Black IPA / Cascadian Dark Ale – IPAs featuring dark malt character alongside hop-forward profile. Black IPAs combine roasted malt's chocolate and coffee notes with citrusy, piney hop character, creating complex beers that challenge style conventions.
Red IPA – Amber to reddish IPAs showcasing caramel and toffee malt character balanced by assertive hop bitterness and aroma. The style bridges malt-forward amber ales and hop-forward IPAs.
Milkshake IPA / Oat Cream IPA – Modern variants incorporating lactose, oats, and sometimes fruit, creating thick, sweet, creamy IPAs with smoothie-like texture. These beers emphasise approachable sweetness and full body alongside hop character.
Hop Varieties & Character
Modern IPAs showcase diverse hop varieties creating distinctive flavour profiles:
American Hops:
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Citra – Mango, lime, tropical fruit; intense citrus character
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Mosaic – Blueberry, tangerine, tropical fruit; complex, layered aromatics
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Simcoe – Pine, citrus, earthy; bold, resinous character
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Cascade – Grapefruit, floral; classic American IPA hop
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Centennial – Citrus, floral; balanced, versatile
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Chinook – Pine, spice, grapefruit; assertive bitterness
Australian Hops:
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Galaxy – Passionfruit, peach, citrus; Australia's signature hop
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Vic Secret – Pineapple, passionfruit, pine; bold tropical character
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Ella – Floral, spice, star anise; elegant aromatics
New Zealand Hops:
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Nelson Sauvin – White wine, gooseberry, tropical fruit; distinctive character
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Motueka – Lime, tropical fruit; bright citrus notes
Brewing Techniques
Modern IPA production employs sophisticated hopping methods:
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Dry-hopping – Post-fermentation hop additions maximising aroma without bitterness
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Double dry-hopping (DDH) – Multiple dry-hop additions for intense aromatics
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Biotransformation – Hopping during active fermentation creating unique fruit character
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Late-addition hopping – Adding hops near end of boil for flavour and aroma
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Hop bursting – Concentrating hop additions late in the boil
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Water chemistry – Adjusting minerals to enhance hop character or create soft mouthfeel
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Adjunct grains – Wheat, oats, and other grains adding body and haze
Climate & Ingredients
IPA production benefits from:
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Quality hops – Access to premium American, Australian, and New Zealand varieties
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Soft to moderate water – Lower mineral content for West Coast styles, adjusted profiles for hazy IPAs
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Premium malt – Clean, neutral base malts allowing hop character to shine
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Diverse climates – From cool Pacific Northwest to warm Australia, enabling different IPA interpretations
Serving & Pairing
Serve IPAs cold (4-7°C) in clean glassware to showcase hop aromatics. IPAs pair excellently with spicy cuisine (Thai, Indian, Mexican), burgers, pizza, grilled meats, fish tacos, and strong cheeses. The hop bitterness cuts through rich, fatty foods whilst the aromatics complement bold flavours.
IPAs are best enjoyed fresh to appreciate peak hop aroma and flavour. Most IPAs should be consumed within 2-4 months of packaging. Check packaging dates and choose the freshest available.
Explore our IPA collection and discover the diversity and innovation of craft beer's most beloved style at great value prices.
