IPA — Primary Blog — <BeerCrunchers/>

West Coast Bias

The West Coast is an aspirational place, a state of mind, and the birthplace of craft beer. And while the IPA (including Pale Ale) didn’t originate in the US, California is where the style became Americanized and the foundation was laid for thousands of brewery openings over the last decade. The West Coast IPA began with a distinct identity, still open to local and regional interpretation, but wasn’t a point of contention among brewers nor confusion among customers. A decade of evolution, hop innovation, and the Hazy IPA interruption has resulted in a splintered understanding of what West Coast IPA means.

StrategyDoug VelikyMay 31, 2022West Coast, IPA, Beer Styles, Marketing, West Coast IPA, Pliny the Elder Comments

Winter IPAs Are Coming

You’ll struggle to find a craft brewery whose Oktoberfest sales didn’t exceed their expectations in 2020 & 2021. Holiday beers followed suit, over-performing in 2020 and leaving few release calendars without at least one festive brand. The challenge remained unsolved though for the cold, often snowy days beginning December 26th. How do you make consumers feel something during these darker, gloomy months? Craft beer’s #1 style is elbowing its way into the chat because as Don Draper said in Mad Men, "You are the product. You feeling something. That's what sells."

StrategyDoug VelikyOctober 26, 2021Cold IPA, Winter IPA, Cryo, IPA, SeasonalComment