Hazy with a Chance of IPA

Bellying up to the counters at some local breweries, we noticed something of late: pint glasses filled with murky golden beers. Fans say these Hazy IPAs are approachable, refreshing, less bitter and easy to drink, while still full of flavor. A taste says they’re different from the Western IPAs commonly on tap.

Clearly, “hazies” are something to take notice of.

“We are definitely seeing the demand for hazy, hoppy beers,” says Chas Cloud, head brewer of Rincon Brewery in Carpinteria, which is targeting an early fall opening of its new Ventura outpost. “I feel that the Hazy style is very approachable. The low bitterness levels combined with the soft mouthfeel and familiar flavors of fruit juice make the style appealing to a broad range of palates.”

“These beers are incredibly popular and customers are demanding them more and more,” adds Dan White, head brewer at Ventura Coast Brewing Company in Downtown Ventura, which rotates in their Hazy Cryo Therapy IPA throughout the year.

The beers are also known as New England–style India Pale Ales, a nod to first being brewed in Vermont in 2003, or Juicy IPAs for their orange and pineapple juice flavors. More than the clarity and name, they differ from the typical West Coast IPA in that they have the trademark flavor and aroma of an English IPA with a lighter, crisp finish and nearly zero malt flavor. They also have a soft, rich body and mouthfeel, says White.

What make a beer a Hazy IPA is the result of the beer-making process and the ingredients, White explains. Brewers use non-barley adjuncts such as oats, wheat and rye for their high protein content, which creates a “protein haze.” Using yeasts that will stay suspended in the beer creates a “yeast haze” and residual malt sweetness, White says. Copious amounts of hops provide strong flavors and aromas, while keeping bitterness low, and creating a “polyphenol haze.”

“With the style being so new, we are really enjoying experimenting with different combinations of hops and variations in our process,” says Cloud, whose Rincon Brewery makes the Windy Lane Hazy IPA.