Whether you’re trying to impress your friends at the bar or you’re an avid beer drinker, Greg Nagel of OCbeerblog.com and our weekly Brewday Monday: Craft Beer 101 Q&A will give you something to talk about.
Q: What is a West Coast IPA”?
A: In the mid 90’s, several west coast breweries took advantage of super fresh hops grown in the pacific northwest, most notably Stone Brewing Co. Aggressively using magnum, chinook and centennial hops for bittering, flavor and aroma, they were the first brewery to mass produce the style for distribution. Other IPA’s existed at the time, including east coast and British IPA which are more malty, sweet balanced. West Coast IPA’s showcase the piney/floral/fruity hop character in each hop on a simple malt backbone.
