The 'Haze Craze'

'Clear beer' and Hazy IPA

I had never heard of Hazy IPA until I saw it on the menu in a Washington, D.C. restaurant. I was intrigued by the entry; I ordered it, and it was one of the best beers I’ve ever had. This beer had a hint of citrus flavor, and it was tasty and satisfying. When we returned home, I began to explore more of the hazy IPA trend.

Apparently, this has been a thing for quite a while. Clearly, I am behind the times on this. Then again, it took me a long time to get into craft beers in the first place. 

For decades, I drank so-called ‘regular’ beers. That is, mass produced, or mass market beers – the kind that beer drinkers over 50 or so grew up with and were (and still are) quite popular among mostly older beer drinkers. Since I started drinking and buying beer in the mid-1970s, I’ve had all of the usual, old school beers: Budweiser, Coors, Michelob, Miller Lite, and the like. My Grandfather and my Dad were familiar with Hamms, Olympia, Schlitz, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Rolling Rock, Genesee, Utica Club (I’ve tried them as well), and others that are still around, but maybe not as popular as they once were (some of those are regional brands that never made the jump to a national audience).

When craft beers started gaining ground in popularity, and shelf space in stores, I didn’t even consider trying them. They were more expensive and unknowns. We didn’t have a lot of money to spend on such things, and I had no interest in spending $8-$10 on a six-pack of beer that I might not like at all. I was definitely not in the experimental frame of mind when it came to buying and drinking beer. I tended to stick with the old mainstays, primarily Budweiser or Coors, and the occasional Miller Lite.

 

The first craft beer I ever tried was not even of my choosing. One strange day in the early 2000s, my wife Tiffany brought home a six-pack sampler of Sam Adams beers (Boston Beer Company). She decided that I should try something new. Included were two each of Boston Lager, Blackberry Witbier, and another that I do not recall. I was certain I would not like any of them, but I was wrong – Boston Lager and the Blackberry beer were excellent, and I was surprised. That experience opened the door for me to craft beers.

 

Even though that six-pack was more expensive than the usual stuff, by then I wasn’t buying and drinking as much beer as I had been back in my college days. I enjoyed those craft beers, and I decided that since I wasn’t buying much beer these days, why not spend a little more, and even more of a stretch for me: start experimenting with craft beers. Since then, about 20 years now, I’ve bought nothing but craft beers, with favorites Alamo Golden Ale (Alamo Beer Company), Longboard Lager (Kona Brewing Company), Fancy Lawnmower (Saint Arnold Brewing Company), Creek Don’t Rise (Barrow Brewing Co.), Shiner Light Blonde (Spoetzl Brewery), and Belgian White (Blue Moon Brewing Co.) 

Fast forward to the present day, and I am already fully immersed in the culture of craft beers. The problem is, I had fallen into a rut when buying beer, and I was bored with the craft beers I had been buying. I had not even noticed the newer beers in the store, many of which I would later discover were these mysterious hazy IPAs.

 

The brew that got me into the haze craze was the Green City Hazy IPA draft that I had at Chaplin’s Restaurantin Washington, D.C. I was in the mood for something different; Chaplins offered many beers and ales I was not familiar with, but the description of this one jumped out at me: “fruity, juicy, creamy body and slightly bitter finish.” It was so good that I was immediately hooked. Unfortunately, this beer, brewed by the Other Half Brewing Company in Brooklyn, New York, does not ship to Texas. 

 

Damn. I find a truly great tasting, interesting beer and I can’t get it at home.

 

It was only then that I started looking more closely at the beer selection in our local grocery store, hoping to find something similar to the outstanding Green City Hazy IPA. Our HEB store (a Texas grocery company that competes with Walmart and beats them at every turn) stocks quite a few hazy IPAs that I had not even noticed before my discovery of this beer variety.

 

If you’re reading this, you probably already know more about this fairly new (ok, at least new to me) beer phenomenon than I do. I’m not going to get into the technical aspect of exactly what a hazy IPA is. I read about it, and it’s beyond me, but what has been called the Haze craze is all about beers that are, as the name suggests – hazy. That is, they are not clear like the usual beers and ales. For many years, clear beer was the standard. It was considered pure, and anything with even a hint of a haze was not okay and considered by many to be tainted and unfit for human consumption. 

 

Then, in the early 2010s, some New England brewers decided change was needed. The craft beer industry has long been known for experimentation, especially with different ingredients not normally associated with beer, and for different brewing methods. The new thing focused on certain hops and the flavors that could be extracted from this critical beer component. The result was hazy IPAs. 

 

The process makes these beers less bitter and results in a fruitier taste – some with a hint of citrus flavor that varies from brand to brand (apparently, fruit is not used in the brewing; it’s the type of hops and the way they are used. This article by Pete O’Connell with graphics by Sara Pinsonault on Vinepair.com discusses the most common hops used in this beer type). Hazy IPAs tend to have less carbonation, making them smoother, and are supposedly better tasting. 

 

That Green City beer I had in D.C. was definitely tasty. I’ve tried several other brands here at home, and the taste varies. Some have been quite good, such as Founders All Day Haze, and Stone Tangerine Express Hazy IPA, while others I didn’t enjoy as much. But then again, beer is like that – different people prefer different styles and flavors of beer and ale.

 

I regret that it took me so long to get into craft beers, but I am enjoying this foray into the Haze craze. I will still occasionally buy one of my old favorites (Longboard Lager, Belgian White, etc.), but the light, citrusy flavor of these hazy IPAs is a great, refreshing, enjoyable, and new taste. If you haven’t explored the Haze craze, do yourself a favor and give it a try.

 

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Larry Manch is an author, teacher, guitar player, freelance writer, beer drinker, and columnist. He has written 24 books; available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.com.

 

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