Cold IPA
The Cold IPA is one of the IPA family's newest members — a crisp, lean, hop-saturated beer that borrows lager-brewing techniques while remaining, unmistakably, an IPA. Despite the name it is not a lager and not a India Pale Lager; it is an ale-style hopping built on a cold-fermented, adjunct-driven base for maximum crispness.
#Origins
The Cold IPA was created in 2018 by Kevin Davey at Wayfinder Beer in Portland, Oregon. It quickly became a defining "modern" style of the early 2020s — see Modern IPA Diversification — and is often discussed alongside the revival of the West Coast IPA.
#What Makes It "Cold"
The Cold IPA is defined by a set of techniques borrowed from lager brewing, applied to a hop-forward beer:
| Technique | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Lager yeast | A clean, neutral fermentation that lets hops shine |
| Cold-ish fermentation | Warmer than a true lager but cooler than an ale; minimal esters |
| Rice or corn adjuncts | Lightens body, sharpens crispness — see Specialty Malts and Adjuncts |
| No cold-conditioning lagering | Kept short to preserve hop aroma |
The result is a beer with the crisp, clean, dry character of a strong pilsner but the aromatic hop intensity of a West Coast IPA. See IPA Yeast Strains and Fermentation.
The two are easily confused. An India Pale Lager is fully a lager — cold-fermented and lagered. A Cold IPA uses lager yeast and adjuncts but is warm-ish fermented and treated like an ale, prioritizing hop expression over lager smoothness.
#Sensory Profile
- Appearance — very pale and brilliantly clear.
- Aroma — bright, clean, classic American hops.
- Bitterness — firm and crisp, never harsh.
- Mouthfeel — light, snappy, dry — see The Science of Mouthfeel.
- Finish — clean and decisively dry.
#Continue Reading
- India Pale Lager — the closely related cross-genre style
- West Coast IPA — the clear, dry expression it echoes
- IPA Yeast Strains — the lager yeast it uses
- Brut IPA — another crisp, dry modern style
- Modern IPA Diversification — the era that produced it