The New Beer Trend: Red IPAs
Six tasty reasons your brew should be red this fall.
By Joshua M. Bernstein
FROM LEFT: Sierra Nevada Flipside Red, Green Flash Hop Head Red, Goose Island Rambler IPA.
Come fall, beer’s most fashionable shade used to be brown. From chocolate-y porters to nutty brown ales, these heartier styles defined seasonal drinking, serving as warming companions to cool October eves.
This year, there’s a brownout in the beer aisle. And the hottest new hue is red—namely, the red IPA. Rich and resinous, the crimson ale is defined by flavors of sticky caramel and aromas of forest-fresh pine and Florida citrus. Red IPAs are bright yet also substantial, seasonal chameleons suited for lingering warm afternoons and brisk nights.
Here are six tasty reasons why you’re better off red.
Midnight Sun Sockeye Red IPA
Named after a salmon breed, the Alaska brewery’s reddish-amber IPA blends notes of pine resin and grapefruit. Sockeye will coat your tongue in a blanket of sweet caramel.
Goose Island Rambler IPA
Using hops harvested at Idaho’s Elk Mountain Farm, the Chicago brewery’s new fall seasonal is an herbal, resinous, and citrusy ride. It’s set atop a sturdy framework of rich caramel.
Sierra Nevada Flipside Red
The venerable Californian’s limited release—available through October—is an easy-drinking garnet gem loaded with tropical Citra and citrusy Centennial hops.
Green Flash Hop Head Red
Recently reformulated to up the alcohol content (from 7% ABV to 8.1%) and aroma, the San Diegans’ double IPA is as resinous as a marijuana dispensary. Drink it nice and slow, savoring the floral aromatics.
Summit Brewing Horizon Red IPA
Made in St. Paul, Minnesota, the malty and balanced Horizon is named after a hop variety with a touch of citrusy complexity. That tropical note? It’s supplied by Mosaic hops, a new breed released in 2012.
Oskar Blues G’Knight Imperial Red IPA
Brewed as a tribute to Gordon Knight, a pioneering Colorado brewer who died while fighting a wildfire, G’Knight is sticky and fruity, with a seriously bitter streak to balance the sweetness. To fully appreciate the copper-red color, pour from a can into a glass.
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