August 17 Marks the First Annual National Hazy IPA Day

Declan Gallagher
·2 min read

August 17, 2023 will mark the first annual National Hazy IPA Day, a celebration of one of the most popular craft beer styles in the country.

California’s Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is behind the event, which honors a brew popularized in New England in the early 2000s. Eventually, the so-called “haze craze” moved to the West Coast, where everyone developed an appreciation for the distinct flavor. The event will be held every year on the third Thursday of August.

“Hazy IPA has rapidly become one of the most popular beer styles, and we felt it was time to set aside a day to celebrate its indelible mark on the craft beer world,” Lesley Albright, Vice President of Marketing at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., said in a statement.

Hazy IPA is a style of beer inspired by India Pale Ale and American IPA. They’re known for their hop-heavy flavor and cloudy appearance. Hazy IPAs are sweeter and more approachable than traditional American IPAs, which are clear in color due to filtration. Hazy IPAs are unfiltered so they may retain particular notes from the hops to distinguish their flavor. Typical flavor notes include citrus, bitter, earthy, fruity and floral.

Sierra Nevada Brewing says it created Hazy IPA Day to celebrate the craft beer community and the Hazy IPA style as a whole. The California brewers also happen to make the top-selling Hazy IPA in America, Hazy Little Thing. According to the brewery, it was also the first nationally distributed Hazy IPA in the country. For those looking for more options, you can check out Men's Journal's list of the ten best Hazy IPAs.

August is already a jam-packed month for beer holidays. There’s a general IPA Day, which falls on the first Thursday of August, and International Beer Day on the first Friday of the month.

Some industry analysts wonder, since Hazy IPA Day is specific to one brewery, how quickly the holiday will be embraced by consumers and other manufacturers. Then again, who doesn't want another excuse to celebrate beer. You can follow the celebrations on social media via the hashtag #HazyIPADay.