Red IPA

From Cloudburst founder-brewer Steve Luke, here’s a homebrew recipe for the West Coast double red that won gold at the 2025 World Beer Cup.

Old-school malt layers, New World hop flavors, and that beautiful red-amber color... Love live the red IPA.

In this throwback IPA style that recalls the beauty of malt—both visually and in the flavor—you can go with a complex, layered all-grain grist. Or, you can get there quicker (and just as beautifully red) with an intentional approach to extract brewing.

Remember malt? Imperial red ale does. Brian Seffer, head brewer at Claremont Craft Ales in Claremont, California, explains the philosophy behind Happy Days, the 9.5 percent ABV red ale that brought home GABF gold in 2018—then did it again in 2020.

Courtesy of Kane Wille, head brewer at O’Connor Brewing in Norfolk, Virginia, this recipe for an imperial red IPA gets depth from layers of Proximity craft malts.

This recipe will serve you well as a faithful Red IPA that avoids the pitfalls of the style while amplifying its virtues.