New England India Pale Ale Achieves National Recognition

On March 20, 2018, the Brewers Association added three “Juicy or Hazy” ale categories to its 2018 Beer Style Guidelines: Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale, Juicy or Hazy IPA, and Juicy or Hazy Double IPA. The association stated that the new categories represented beers commonly referred to as New England IPAs, Hazy IPAs, or West Coast Hazy IPAs. The change gave national competition recognition to a style family that had grown from regional cult beers into a major force in American craft brewing. These beers were described as emphasizing hop aroma and flavor, often with lower perceived bitterness, a softer texture, and a hazy appearance. The new categories debuted at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival competition. Later that year, Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale became the most-entered category at the festival, with 391 entries, surpassing American-Style IPA and confirming the national prominence of hazy IPA within American craft beer.