This article first appeared in Yankee Brew News
“Ugh, I hate IPAs.” If you’re into beer, you’ve heard that phrase many times before, and perhaps spoken the words yourself. These days, it seems to be popular to pile on the hate for the India pale ale, arguably the most divisive beer on the market.
And yet, have you noticed the volume of hop-centric selections in New England breweries? I have. For example, Proclamation Ale Company in Warwick, Rhode Island had 7 IPA varieties on its menu when I visited, from single-hopped to triple, West Coast to NEIPA.
Why? “It’s absolutely our best seller, 100%,” one of the beertenders told me.
How is that possible? No other style seems to bring out fervent loathing like the IPA, but the most checked-in styles on Untappd are American IPA, New England IPA, and double IPA, and places like The Alchemist, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, and Tree House Brewing Company make some of the most sought-after beers in the country.
Looking at all this raised an interesting question in me: is it required to have an IPA on tap to succeed in New England, even if you don’t like them?
Curious, I put the thought to two Facebook groups on a Saturday night: RI Craft Beer Community, and New England Craft Beer Community. I got 100+ answers within two hours (like I said, this is a passionate topic!). Here’s just a few responses:
“IPAs are the burgers and fries of every menu. They are expected to be on the slate. If you don’t have at least one, people will look at you like you are crazy.”
“From a non-IPA drinker, it seems that the IPA is needed to get people in the door. Other types that are off the flavor path that I may enjoy aren’t as profitable and won’t have a chance of being there if the volume of the others isn’t present.”
“If a brewery doesn’t have an IPA, I’m immediately suspicious. On the flip side, if a brewery does have an IPA and it isn’t very good, I’m suspicious of their product overall.”
“If the brewer isn’t passionate about IPA but has spent years perfecting his German beers, Belgian beers, or whatever else, I would prefer to drink the good stuff, and maybe he shouldn’t put an IPA on tap just for the sake of checking that box.”
I could write separate articles diving more into each of these responses. But I have a word limit, so instead, I reached out to two brewers for more behind-the-scenes insights into the IPA at their establishments.
First, I spoke to Mark Papi of Six Pack Brewing in Bristol, Rhode Island: “We have 2 IPAs on tap of all time, and they are our two best-selling,” he told me over the phone. “IPA often gets them in the door – a lot of people are seeking it out, and they don’t even want to try other stuff. I do think the population in the Northeast is getting tired of IPAs, and people are starting to go towards Pilsners and lagers. But an IPA lover myself, I like the challenges of brewing them.”
I also spoke with Nick Bonadies of BelleFlower Brewing in Portland, Maine. “IPAs are the core of what people drink,” he shared. “75% of our beers are hoppy pale ales or DIPAs. Beer culture has grown in the past ten years with all the hype brands, and there’s definitely a little bit of IPA fatigue out there. But the IPA style still offers space to be innovative. I can’t tell you how many times I hear ‘I don’t like IPAs,’ but 9 times out of 10, I can get someone to realize ‘Oh I do like it!’”
Very similar to my own story with the hotly contested hoppy beer! When I first ventured into the craft beer world, I was a malt queen and eschewed any form of hop-forward pour. But over the last two years, I’ve discovered that there are hop varieties that I prefer over others (I perk up when I see Cashmere listed, for instance) and I’m intrigued by specific IPA styles. In fact, there have been a few breweries I’ve visited over the past year where my favorite tasting was a variation of IPA, to my great surprise.
And while there might be some regional burnout happening with the idea of an IPA? There seems to be so much more in store for the style. Everyone I spoke to mentioned how 2024 is looking to be all about IPA varieties and experiments, and brewers are leaning into it. Those words were confirmed when I visited Angle Tree Brewery in Attleboro, Massachusetts, where I was pleased to see three trends already on tap: a West Coast IPA, a Cold IPA, and a Red IPA.
So, if you’re a passionate hop hater, I’ll leave you with this: try more IPA varieties in New England, even if you’re sick of the sight of them on the menu board. A preconceived notion could be keeping you from a great pour!
