What is a Session IPA?

By: Jamie Fulton, Head Brewer

The best part of my job as head brewer at Community Beer Co. is dreaming up and executing the next new beer release.  When it comes time to brainstorm and brew new beers I actively look for inspiration in many places, but it’s often by some chance encounter that an idea is born and a new beer begins. 

With Community’s newest seasonal release named Sundial, a Session IPA (India Pale Ale), this definitely rings true. 

It happened when I wandered into Freshcraft in Denver for lunch after having survived two days of Great American Beer Festival (if you have been, you understand!).  At this point in the trip, I was about tired of beer, and relayed this sentiment to our server.  He recommended something refreshing and lighter: an Easy Jack from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.  I’d never had it before and gave in to his suggestion, and I’m glad I did.  It’s an excellent example of how a session IPA can have big hop character, but remain balanced and refreshing.  While the beer was great, the best thing about it was that it inspired me to brew my own.  Just like any artist, inspiration gained though others’ works is often the impetus for new creation.

So What is a “Session IPA?”  

The Brewers Association, which sets the style guidelines for the two largest beer competitions in the world (Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup), just recently came out with the style guidelines for 2015.  New to the list, amongst others, is Session IPA.  New styles are not created on a whim and are the product of a viable trend of similar beers produced by craft brewers over years of time.  In other words, it’s here to stay and not a fad!  

Arguably, the most popular Session IPA currently made is Founder’s All Day IPA; the name pretty much says it all: it’s a beer that you can drink all day (when appropriate!) without the high ABV of most commercially available IPAs. 

A normal strength IPA can range from around 6-8% ABV, and some are even higher (considered double or imperial IPA).  But this range is not set in stone.  For instance, one of our best selling beers, Mosaic IPA, is 8.6% ABV... but we do not call it Imperial IPA or Double IPA.  I figure that in Texas everything has to be bigger, so when we do a double IPA, it’s gonna be big! 

A Session IPA on the other hand is meant to offer many of the same elements that people enjoy in an IPA, without knocking you down after a few.  The star of the show, as in any great IPA, is the hops.  There should be a very present hop aroma and flavor, usually of the American variety, so think big, bold, citrus, pine, resin, tropical fruit, etc.  The hops should be backed up by a decent amount of malt though, not sweet by any means, but enough to balance the hop flavor, aroma and bitterness.  Alcohol by volume is around 4-5%, and for you beer nerds, the IBUs (a lab measurement of bitterness) are around 30-55.  

All technicalities aside though, this is simply a damn tasty beer: it’s refreshing and crisp, and showcases amazing hops that are often grown right here in the USA.

Next time you’re packing your cooler for an all day excursion or camping trip, and want something you can enjoy all day and keep your wits about you, consider Sundial, the new sessionable and hoppy delight brewed and soon-to-be canned at Community Beer Company!