Jump on the Haze Craze

I love a good IPA.

They’re solid beers. Hard to mess up, but difficult enough to find one that perfectly nails what you’re looking for, so that it feels like a prize when you find it.

Unfortunately for me and my household, that hunt has become even harder because - and here’s our dirty little secret - we’re not really fan of hazy IPAs.

~GASP~ I know.

Hazy IPAs are the market right now. It’s dang difficult to find a suitable West Coast IPA out there! It’s a cloudy jungle, folks!

I’m not vehemently against them; I can appreciate a really good hazy now and then, but it’s never going to be my first choice. They seem too heavy to me - almost like eating my beer. My partner though, he tries to avoid them as much as possible. He says there’s a weird green taste and hop burn to them that just doesn’t do it for him.

Seeing as I’m a booze blogger, it got me thinking. What makes a hazy, hazy? Why are they suddenly everywhere? And is that green taste really a thing?

A Recipe for Haziness

Starting with the basics: what is a hazy IPA?

Well for starters, and because I’m a sucker for using “literally” in the correct way, hazy IPAs are literally hazy or cloudy looking India Pale Ales.

But of course it goes deeper than that, and the first main difference has to do with when the hops are added during the brewing process.

Normal IPAs add in hops during the boiling phase of the brewing. This is what unleashes the flavor and particularly the bitterness into that IPA type.

Hazys, on the other hand, add the hops at the tail end of the boil, or directly after the boil, oooooor sometimes brewers will even wait until the fermentation phase to add them (this is called dry-hopping).

This key difference is what keeps the bitterness down, and the super juicy, citrusy, and tropical notes high.

Dry-hopping is also a key factor in the name and appearance of these beers. It leaves behind hop oils and particulates in the beer, which contributes to this cloudy, opaque appearance. But it’s not just the dry-hopping that does this, the lack of filtration is also a key player here.

And that’s what really makes up the second biggest difference between “normal” IPAs and hazy IPAs; Hazys are not filtered. This means all those particulates remain behind, and so do the delicate floral and fruity aromas that are now typical of the beer.

The third and final major difference between the IPAs are the yeast strains used. Historically, brewers will use a strain that drops out and then is easily filtered completely out of the beer. But with Hazy IPAs, brewers use different yeasts - ones that stick around to create more cloud and much more fruity flavor (scientifically known as esters).

The Haze Craze

Okay, so hazy IPAs are the fun uncle of the IPA family. Why are they suddenly everywhere? Everyone seems to like them, and every brewery seems to have one (or two, or seven).

It seems that Hazy IPAs have set themselves up in a perfect spot: they’re the gateway IPA.

Folks who already liked IPAs generally like them because they’re showcasing hop flavors in new and fun ways. They’re different from both West Coast and standard IPAs, but still full of hoppy, somewhat bitter, definitely juicy flavor.

And that’s also why folks who might otherwise steer clear of IPAs will actually grab a hazy pint. This IPA subset is much more tame than the dank bitterness of West Coast IPAs. The IBUs are down, as are the signature piney tastes of a West Coast.

The brewing method also leaves behind more of a creamy, thick mouthfeel, which is easier to drink than the crisp up-the-nose bubbles of other styles.

Is simple terms: they’re a more approachable version of an IPA. They’re more fruity, less bitter, and easy to drink.

But when did unfiltered go from a “bad batch” to a hazy trend?

In the early 2000s, a Vermont brewery called The Alchemist was messing around to try and come up with something new. The result was a suspiciously cloudy, unpasteurized, unfiltered beer named Heady Topper. It was a smash hit and slowly but surely the surrounding breweries started trying their own unfiltered recipes. The whole trend grew from there, and that’s also why hazy IPAs are also known as New England IPAs or East Coast IPAs.

Oddballs Out

So, if they’re more approachable and a huge hit right now, why do my partner and I not like them much?

That hop burn Matt doesn’t like, well that might be from the fact there actually is hop oil and particulates floating in the beer! And that heaviness I try to avoid? Yep, that’s the purposeful creamy texture that everyone else raves over.

Looks like the boring answer is this all just comes down to preference. I think - for us - it makes sense when you look at what we drink holistically.

It’s the same thing with us and Scotch. While plenty of people prefer the smooth caramels of the highlands or the nutty sweetness of speyside, both my partner and I prefer the sharp tang and hefty peat of salty Islay scotches. They are briny, smokey, and as strong as a sailer doing one handed push-ups. And definitely not for everyone.

And same with wine! I can appreciate a nice Shiraz or smooth Cab Sauv - it’s still good wine - but I’m always going to reach for that “rip your face off with tannins” Nebbiolo instead.

Seems to me that both my partner and I tend toward the “go big, or go home” type drinks, so when it comes to IPAs, we’re going to reach for the bitter, dank, über resiny ones, which is just against a Hazy’s nature.

Weekly Adventure

Go find yourself a good, new hazy to try out! Sidle up to the bartender or liquor store shelf stocker and ask what their favorite is and why. Maybe, with this new info in your head, you can appreciate it at a whole new level.

Cheers,

Molly

References

https://sierranevada.com/blog/our-beer/what-is-a-hazy-ipa/

https://www.findmeabrewery.com/hazy-ipa/

https://www.stonebrewing.com/blog/beer/2021/what-makes-hazy-ipas-hazy#ageGatePassed

https://usabeerratings.com/en/blog/insights-1/hazy-ipas-gaining-popularity-want-to-know-why-166.htm

https://www.firestonebeer.com/west-coast-vs-hazy-ipas-whats-the-difference/