American IPA
IPA Family · ale
An assertively bitter pale ale built around bright American hop character.
- OG
- 1.056–1.070
- FG
- 1.008–1.014
- ABV
- 5.5–7.5%
- IBU
- 40–70
- SRM
- 6–14
Description
American IPA is the flagship of US craft brewing — a moderately strong ale that puts hop flavor and bitterness at the center of the experience. The malt bill is intentionally restrained: enough to support the alcohol and provide a clean canvas, but never enough to compete with the hops. Late kettle additions and dry hopping push citrus, pine, and tropical fruit aromas to the foreground, while a firm bittering charge anchors the finish. Body is medium-light to medium, carbonation is moderate, and the finish is dry to moderately dry. The style accommodates a wide range of hop expressions — from the grapefruit-and-pine of the West Coast lineage to the orange-and-stone-fruit of more recent variants — but always in service of a hop-forward profile.
History
The American IPA emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s as US craft brewers pushed traditional English IPA recipes harder using newly available high-alpha American hop varieties. Cascade, then Centennial, then Citra and beyond gave brewers a flavor palette that didn't exist in England, and the style quickly became its own thing. By the 2010s it was the single most-brewed craft style in the country.
Flavor notes
Bright citrus and pine on the nose; firm but clean bitterness on the palate; light caramel or biscuit malt in the background; dry finish.
Classic examples
- Stone IPA
- Bell's Two Hearted
- Russian River Blind Pig
- Sierra Nevada Torpedo
Service
Tulip or American pint · 45–50°F
Recipes in this style
Style ranges based on multiple primary brewing-literature sources; BJCP attribution under legal review. See licensing.