Beer Styles

What is an IPA, and what does one from New Zealand taste like? The abbreviation stands for India Pale Ale, a pale, heavily hopped beer that found success mainly in the 19th century as an export beer to India. In Wellington, it's the style nearly every brewery has on tap.

American IPA is clear, golden to copper in color, and distinctly bitter. The style guideline range sits at 40 to 70 IBU and 5.5 to 7.5 percent alcohol. In the glass it smells of citrus, resin, and fruit, and in the mouth it dries the palate.

Hazy IPA is the cloudy sibling. It's stronger, softer in body, and nearly free of sharp bitterness, but delivers plenty of juiciness. The guideline allows 6 to 9 percent alcohol. The word "hazy" simply means cloudy.

New Zealand hops give both styles a distinctive character: less pine, more white wine, gooseberry, and stone fruit. Pale Ale is the leaner version, with 4.5 to 6.2 percent alcohol and less bitterness than an IPA.

Alongside IPA, the city's menus, such as at Hashigo Zake on Taranaki Street, also feature stouts, sour beers, and lagers. But IPA remains the style where Nelson hops show most clearly, since there's barely any malt sweetness or roast character to distract from them.

The difference between IPA and Pale Ale lies mainly in strength. IPA has a higher original gravity, meaning more dissolved sugar in the wort before fermentation, resulting in more alcohol and more hops, while Pale Ale is easier to drink and stays more balanced.