Brut IPA: The Champagne of the Beer World

If you’re a craft beer enthusiast, chances are you’ve heard the term “brut IPA” being thrown around this summer. Lo and behold, the newest beer trend has hit the market!

This time last year it was all about the hazy IPA, a characteristically cloudy beer known for showcasing bold, juicy flavors and a smooth hop profile. While hazy beers have been in existence for several years (first originating at Vermont Pub & Brewery, hence it’s other name: “New England IPA”), the trend took the beer world by storm in 2017. Suddenly, every microbrewery and large production brewery alike were producing the cloudy concoction!

Now, the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction with the introduction of brut IPAs.

Crisp, clear, and light in color, this beer looks more like a lager than anything else. But it’s the flavor that sets it aside from all the rest. Brut IPAs feature a hop-forward profile that is uncharacteristically dry to taste. Don’t get me wrong, “dry” works perfectly with this beer! And that’s where the connection to Champagne comes in…

Brut Champagne refers to bubbly that lacks sweetness altogether. Instead, emphasizes buttery, sharp citrus, or floral flavors. By the same token, brut IPAs also lack sweetness and instead feature hoppy, crisp flavors with piney, earthy, or floral notes. Brut IPAs feature a unique brewing process that breaks down sugars into smaller-than-usual chain molecules. This allows the yeast to eat up these sugar chains and extract any malty, sweet flavors in the concoction. Therefore, the hops aren’t masked by residual sugars from the brewing process, which allows the subtlest of hop flavors to shine through.

So, with two summers we’ve seen two very opposite styles of beer in the spotlight. Hazy vs. clear. Juicy vs. dry. The palates of the beers couldn’t be more different, yet it can be hard to choose a favorite!

Recently, two of my favorite breweries, Institution Ale Company and Madewest Brewing Company, hosted a tap takeover where they served their beers side-by-side. While Institution’s staple beers always hit the spot, I was able to try Madewest’s brut and hazy IPAs side-by-side to compare the two. I’ve never had a Madewest beer that wasn’t excellent, and the Effervescent Brut IPA was no different. It was perfectly piney, dry, and refreshing, and it quickly became my new favorite brut. Madewest’s Slow Show Hazy IPA was smooth, juicy, and easy to drink despite its high ABV, and was perfect for a warm evening outside. Both beers were drastically different from one another in the best way possible. I couldn’t have asked for a better comparison of styles. Both hit all the marks!

If you find yourself in Ventura County, be sure to check out Institution and Madewest.

Institution features their fantastic namesake IPA, Institution IPA, as well as a variety of pale ales, stouts, and ambers that rotate throughout the year. Institution also has the best soft pretzels I’ve had outside of Germany, and fantastic pizzas featuring unique combinations of ingredients. You could call it one of my favorite restaurants! You also can’t go wrong with a visit to Madewest, where the Standard, Pale Ale, and IPA are their shining stars. It can be hard not to order one of those when you realize how delicious they are, but be sure to try some of their special releases (like the brut and hazy). They never disappoint!

So, hazy or brut?

Which style is your favorite? And which brews are your favorites? Let me know what should be on my tasting list in the comments below!