“Treachery” at Wicked Weed (Photo by Leah Shapiro)
Story by Gary Glancy
Lighten Up! IPAs are in Session
It’s one of the most frequently discussed topics throughout brewery taprooms across Western North Carolina: IPAs. When it comes to craft beer, what’s everyone all hopped up about?
For well over a decade now, India Pale Ales (more commonly known as simply IPA) have been by far the best-selling craft beer style in America—by a landslide. Second place isn’t even close, except in the fall when seasonal pumpkin ales soar in popularity. In Asheville specifically, beer lovers clamber for IPAs like they would for a waterfall or mountain bike trail.
Still, despite their enormous popularity, IPAs also are one of the most polarizing beer styles out there. Simply put, it’s a love-hate thing.
The reason? IPAs evoke that one word that generates the dichotomy among beer drinkers: This beer is hoppy.
And yes, that means they’re big and bold. Potent and pungent. Biting and—gasp—bitter!
Well, a few years ago a new take on the style began to emerge from breweries both locally and nationally that caught fire pretty quickly: the lighter, lower alcohol session IPA. While the term is part of the everyday vocabulary of most seasoned craft beer fans, craft newbies often find the word “session” both foreign and confusing (many people mistake “session” for “saison,” which is a Belgian farmhouse-style ale that translates to “season”).
Session IPA simply refers to the fact that, because it is lighter and contains a relatively low alcohol content— typically in the 4.5 to 5.5 percent range—one can typically drink a few during an outing comfortably without becoming too full.
They are light and refreshing, and one of the perfect styles for summer as consumers’ tastes begin to change with the season. Session IPAs also serve as a wonderful gateway beer for those who may be afraid of hoppy beers, but are willing to start off slowly.
Contrary to popular belief, hoppy beers need not be bitter. Yes, bitterness can be one characteristic, but hops also contribute aroma and flavor to beer. Thanks to hopping techniques during and following the boiling process in production, brewers can manipulate the intensity of aroma, flavor, and bitterness in the finished beer.
With less malt and hops to work with, achieving a balanced, tasty, low-alcohol session IPA can be a challenge. When done right, however, session IPAs offer the best of both worlds for all beer drinkers; they pack plenty of hop aromas and flavors—from citrus to tropical fruit to spice—but without the full body, rich malt, and bitter hoppiness of a standard or double IPA.
The lighter body and lower alcohol content also make them great to pair with light, summery picnic foods, or for just quenching one’s thirst on the river or by one of the area’s many watering holes. Give it a try, you just may see the light.
Gary Glancy is a freelance writer, bartender and Certified Cicerone® living in Hendersonville.
