The IPA continues to be a key driver in a tough sales climate.
By: Joshua M. Bernstein
In an unsettled beer market where sales and volumes of many styles are decelerating, IPAs remain a rare beacon. IPA sales make up around 51 percent of craft dollar sales, according to NIQ data supplied by 3 Tier Beverages, driven by innovative bold flavors that court fans across the drinking spectrum. The IPA has “become such a behemoth that it has fragmented into many beautiful and distinct sub-styles, from session IPAs to hazies to West Coast to Imperial and beyond,” says Sam Calagione, Founder of Dogfish Head.
The shapeshifting IPA can deliver high-ABV impact, easygoing, low ABV, and endless combinations of the latest and greatest hops. Be it piney and bitter, smooth and fruity, pungent and potent, or snappy and citrusy, the IPA deliciously pushes the boundaries of good taste. There’s an IPA for every palate, and here’s how smart retailers can leverage variety to tap into continued demand.
NON-ALCOHOLIC IPA
Athletic Run Wild IPA (less than .5% ABV)
Beer consumption is typically limited by time of day. But what if a drinker could sip IPAs any hour, anytime? The growth of flavorful NA IPAs has expanded audiences and occasions, bringing hoppy beers to race finish lines, work lunches, and whenever anyone wants a buzz-free cold one. The best of class remains Athletic’s flagship Run Wild IPA. The 65-calorie IPA contains a quintet of Pacific Northwest hops for a pleasing profile of crushed pine needles and grapefruit peel. Run Wild is now available in 19.2 oz. cans suited for concert venues, stadiums, and convenience stores.
SESSION IPA
Dogfish Head 30 Minute Light IPA (4% ABV)
Many early model session IPAs in the 2010s tasted thin, watery, and unbalanced. In time, breweries slowly cracked the code on highly hopped, low-alcohol beers that met the needs of drinkers looking for lighter, yet more flavorful options than lagers. One excellent option is Dogfish Head’s 30 Minute Light IPA, which the Delaware brewery released in 2025 as an addition to its popular Minute Series of IPAs. The crisp, 95-calorie 30 Minute delivers a tropical aroma worthy of a beer twice the strength.
AMERICAN IPA
Montauk Wave Chaser IPA (6.4% ABV)
The American IPA is an agreeable midpoint between the clear, cleanly bitter West Coast and rich English IPAs, balancing malt with modern hops and maybe some haze. One standout is Montauk’s Wave Chaser, which “checks a lot of boxes for different drinkers,” says Vaughan Cutillo, Founder and Brand Director of Montauk Brewing Co. The IPA pairs a piney, tropical punch with a sub-7% ABV to create a “bartender’s dream,” Cutillo says. “Wave Chaser sells fast, appeals to a wide audience, and has drinkers at the bar asking for more.”
WEST COAST IPA
Cape May IPA (6.3% ABV)
In the mid-1990s, California breweries including Lagunitas and Stone began building bright, bone-dry IPAs that showcased piney, citrusy hops. West Coast IPAs spread across America and breweries tweaked the template for local tastes. New Jersey’s Coastal Cape May first produced its flagship West Coast IPA in 2011 by “toning down bitterness and ABV while retaining serious hop aroma and flavor,” says Scott McIntyre, Wholesale and Pennsylvania Market Manager. The versatile IPA excels on summery beach days and football Sundays, remaining flavorful, refreshing, and proudly regional. “You’re drinking something distinctively local but with national craft credibility,” McIntyre says.
HAZY IPA
Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA (6.7% ABV)
Fifteen years ago, drinking IPAs doubled as a dare as brewers engaged in polarizing arms races to increase bitterness. But in the early 2010s, Northeast breweries embraced oats and wheat to create smoother, hazier IPAs that became platforms for fruity Citra and Mosaic hops. Hazy IPAs brought new fans to the category as the style spread from small breweries to national giants like Sierra Nevada. Its fruity and fragrant Hazy Little Thing delivers on value and quality, with barely-there bitterness that keeps customers coming back for another round.
CITRUS IPA
Heavy Seas TropiCannon Citrus IPA (7.3% ABV)
Many contemporary hops flaunt flavors and fragrances reminiscent of ripe citrus. To amplify those qualities, breweries infuse IPAs with citrus peels and fruit and make easy-to-enjoy IPAs. TropiCannon is an “IPA for people who don’t love IPAs thanks to its explosion of bright citrus flavor and aroma,” says Caroline Sisson, Director of Marketing and Hospitality for Maryland’s Heavy Seas. “We intentionally use hops that bring out those juicy, tropical notes – like Amarillo and Citra – then layer in dried orange and grapefruit peel for an extra burst of flavor.”
JUICY IMPERIAL IPA
Firestone Walker Mind Haze Cosmic Crusher (9.5% ABV)
Lemonade and orange juice are staples from childhood to adulthood, when juices become mixers for splashes of spirits or sparkling wine. In beer, the rise of hops that express flavors of papaya, mango, and watermelon led to the rise of juicy IPAs. Adding fruit purées can be costly, so breweries might pair impactful hops with terpenes, the organic compounds that provide signature scents to fruits, plants, and hops. Extracted terpenes furnish Cosmic Crusher with an out-ofthis-world pop of pineapple and mango that’s complemented by Galaxy, Simcoe, and Mandarina hops. Cosmic Crusher is available in the Firestone Walker Mind Haze Hazy IPA Variety Pack.
IMPERIAL IPA
Lagunitas Maximus Colossal IPA (9% ABV)
Intensities define Imperial IPAs, from increased alcohol content (between 8% to 10% ABV) to assertive bitterness and forthright flavor. The beefed-up style, a.k.a. the double IPA, entices drinkers who seek amplified culinary experiences (think: spicy snacks, salsa-topped tacos). But the double IPA is no mere taste bud bruiser, as exemplified by the full-bodied Maximus. It delivers a classic thump of pine and citrus that’s softened by wheat, delivering proof that strength need not be overpowering. Also of note: The hazy spinoff, Hazicus Maximus, uses terpenes to mimic the pungent scent of cannabis.
About the Author: Award-winning beer journalist Joshua M. Bernstein is the author of six books, including The Complete Beer Course.