IPL

As today’s brewers explore the subtleties of hop-forward lagers, they’re finding ways to balance proper fermentation time with the brightest possible hop expression.

It’s a throwback, now, but we remain loyal, and we know they’re still out there. And brewing a great IPL is more about executing the “L” than anything else.

From 12 West Brewing in Gilbert, Arizona, here’s a recipe for their Citra-Mosaic lager that scored a 98 with our blind-review panel and went on to become one of our Best 20 Beers in 2023.

IPL is about making sure the “L” part—lager—is getting its due. With this recipe, the idea is make something that’s clearly a lager but also features hops in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the palate or the grist.

North Carolina’s Burial Beer calls this recipe a “mash-up of delightful keller-pils with dank West Coast IPA.”

An American beer scene still dominated by IPA is enjoying a renaissance of small-scale lager brewing—the ground is fertile for combining the best of both. We don’t care what you call it—IPL, cold IPA, hoppy pilsner, whatever—as long as we get to drink it.

Lager is made at the cellular level—and at the cultural one. How far can you push lager—with different ingredients, fermentations, sensory profiles—until it becomes something else? Randy Mosher ponders the science, the traditions, and the pragmatism.

This comforting recipe features a Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® Beer of the Year (but you can sub in any bright, crisp, West Coast–style IPA or IPL).

After 13 years living abroad, our Missouri-based managing editor spent the past year getting reacquainted with the American beer scene. Here are his beery highlights.

Courtesy of Wayfinder Beer in Portland, Oregon, here is a recipe for their "cold IPA," which earned a spot among our Best 20 Beers of 2020.