From LA to Narragansett Bay: The East Coast vs. West Coast IPA

Coastal rivalries are nothing new. From ’90s hip-hop to our local Cranston high schools, the East versus West debate has been a topic of controversy for decades. When it comes to beer, each coast has developed their own signature style. The most prominent style that has people talking East versus West is the IPA. After a recent trip to Los Angeles and trying a dozen beers out on the golden coast, I decided to examine the differences between the two. 

Before discussing the differences in the coastal styles, it’s important to understand where the IPA (India Pale Ale) itself originated from. The beer style has evolved and taken many forms before it became the flavorful beer we all know today. It is said that in the early 18th century, a London brewer named George Hodgeson was the first to produce the ale that was specifically crafted to withstand the journey to India as well as the subsequent heat and lack of refrigeration. The original form of the beer was said to be lightly hopped, and included coke-fired malt, which led to less smoking of barley while roasting. The process gave the beer a “paler” taste. In Hodgeson’s day, people weren’t quite as particular about their beer as they are now. In those times, beer was often considered to be safer than water, so beer drinkers were less likely to be concerned with mouth feel and aroma, and more likely to be concerned about … well … not dying.

Luckily today we have the luxury of experiencing the eclectic tastes of beer out of novelty, rather than necessity. In the past 10 or so years, the IPA has had an overwhelming resurgence in the beer industry. The possibilities are seemingly endless for breweries to give this style of beer their own signature flair. Lactose, citrus and various species of hops are some of the modern components used to brew this popular style. IPAs of all types have become a fan favorite for seasoned beer drinkers and even devout wine-o’s who have been dragged to breweries by their friends with better taste. I caught up with some brewers from both coasts and here’s what they had to say about the buzzword beverage.

Seasoned brewer Sean Larkin of Revival Brewing has personally witnessed the evolution of the IPA on the East Coast over the last two decades. When asked what makes the ideal East Coast IPA, Larkin explained the basics of the brewing process that result in the “juicy” style (often called a New England IPA) that has become the go-to style for East Coast beer. “We started adding ‘dry hops’ while the tail end of the fermentation was active. This was done because it was believed the yeast and hops would interact in a magical way where the aromas would be even more fierce.” Larkin adds, “The chase for thick, solid, turbid beers became the target brewers and consumers turned to.”

As far as East Coast IPAs at Revival Brewing both You Thirsty and Extra Thirsty where the first deliberately East Coast beers brewed according to Sean.“Savage Gent and Hamr followed; Hamr is pretty much the lead dog in overall low ABV drinkability.”

So what about our friends along the Pacific? I was able to chat with Kushall Hall, head brewer at Common Space in Los Angeles. Here’s what Hall had to say: “The East Coast vs. West Coast IPA thing is funny and hard to pin down. I feel like when I first heard the terminology around 2005, an example of a West Coast IPA would be something like Stone was making at the time — a beer that was dry and very bitter — while an East Coast IPA tended to have more sweetness, more color and lower bitterness.” To Hall’s point, the West Coast IPA is generally viewed as a more straightforward “bitter” version of an IPA. It is likely due to the geographical abundance of hops farms out west. Hall adds, “Nowadays, I personally use the term West Coast IPA simply to state that something is not hazy.”

At the end of the day, it seems as though these coastal beer industries should not be viewed as rivals, but rather great allies who can come together and share techniques to make the best beer possible from Atlantic to Pacific. Our local East Coast expert Sean Larkin has traveled to most major beer cities and put it perfectly. “Things that are new will become old and then become new again. I will always love how (The West) brews beer and we as a Craft Beer Nation will always look to these states and breweries and iconic standards to which we should pay reverence. This will continue to evolve and hopefully we will continue to be along for the ride for years to come.”