The East Coast IPA is a type of IPA that originated on the American East Coast. There you go, question answered!
Fun aside, anyone who’s visited a brewery knows that there are dozens of beer styles, some that come with more nuance than others. For those without deep beer knowledge, trying to sort out an East Coast IPA from a Hazy IPA can be confusing (not to mention West Coast IPAs, Pale Ales, Cold IPAs…and so on).
So, let’s learn what makes East Coast IPAs so special and unique!
How Do You Make an East Coast IPA?
Here comes the frustrating part: there are no set rules that make a beer East Coast. While other alcohol industries have strict rules, like how bourbon must be at least 51% corn or how many German beers must follow purity laws, there’s no standard requirement to make an East Coast IPA.
That being said, most East Coast IPAs have a few things in common.
For starters, East Coast IPAs tend to be dry hopped, meaning hops are added back into the brew after fermentation. This process adds more hop flavor and aroma without bringing in too much bitterness.
Dry hopping in East Coast IPAs adds a juicier flavor, as do other techniques used by brewers. Some brewers monitor the yeasts in the brew to make sure they’re producing fruity flavors, and others might use softer water to improve the mouthfeel.
All of this to say that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach for making an East Coast IPA, but the result is the same: a juicy pale ale with relatively low maltiness and bitterness.
Are East Coast IPAs and Hazy IPAs the Same?
No, East Coast IPAs and Hazy IPAs aren’t the same, but they’re pretty similar in many ways.
For starters, an East Coast IPA doesn’t have to be hazy, but the dry hopping can leave hop residue in the beer, making it hazier in appearance. Also, Hazy IPAs don’t have to be juicy, but they often are. Hazy IPAs look juicy, and taking a sip of something that looks like orange juice and getting intensely bitter flavors would confuse your brain and not be very appetizing.
East Coast IPA Flavor Profile
The hallmark of an East Coast IPA is its juicy flavor, which often comes from Citra or Mosaic hops. You won’t get the bitterness of a West Coast IPA, and you won’t get the same sweet maltiness of a Red Ale.
The aroma of an East Coast IPA should match the flavor profile in juiciness, and the mouthfeel should be…juicy. Ok, pretty much everything about an East Coast IPA can be described as “juicy.”
How about flavors you should NOT get with an East Coast IPA: bitter, sour, malty, and smoky are a few.
The relatively sweet profile of East Coast IPAs makes them super easy to drink and incredibly accessible for all types of beer drinkers.
East Coast vs West Coast IPA
The differences between an East Coast vs West Coast IPA mostly come down to flavor, but there are a few others that I’d like to highlight here:
- Hops: East Coast IPAs use juicier hops like Citra and Mosaic, while West Coast IPAs tend to use hops like Cascade and Simcoe.
- Color: East Coast IPAs tend to be lighter in color or hazy, while West Coast IPAs are typically clear.
- Grain: East Coast IPAs tend to use oats and wheat as a malt for sweet flavors, while West Coast IPAs might use more barley malts.
Trying to differentiate the two styles is not an exact science, and brewers create East Coast and West Coast iPAs in their own ways. However, most breweries will have a clear distinction between the two styles.
What’s a Good East Coast IPA?
If Pliny the Elder is the posterchild for a West Coast IPA, then Heady Topper is the same for the East Coast IPA. A DIPA from The Alchemist in Vermont, Heady Topper is a classic brew that I’m always excited to drink (whenever I can find it).
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