Hoppy Lager : IPL or Cold IPA?

History of Hoppy Lager

India Pale Lager appears to have been created around 2010 to 2012 and was popularized by a few breweries such as Jacks Abbey Craft Lagers out of Farmingham, MA with Hoponius Union and Sudwerk Brewing out of Davis with The Big DIPL. Brewers from both have commented on the desire to make lagers intended to follow the trend of West Coast IPA by making clean lagers but with new world hops instead of traditional hops. It’s important to note that both breweries have dropped the IPL name and now call their hoppy lagers “West Coast Hoppy Lager”

Evolution of Hoppy Lager

Breweries like Highland Park in Los Angeles, Wayfinder in Portland and Wondrous in Emeryville are making even more hop forward hoppy lagers. Sudwerk and Jack’s Abbey have moved with the trend to make hoppy lagers more like hazy IPAs. Jack’s Abbey produces a hazy lager called Chill Haze. In addition, the market is demanding more traditional lager styles as the popularity of lager rises. “As we’ve been growing, we’ve seen a trend toward some of our more traditional lagers, as far as percentage of business,” says Jack Hendler of Jack’s Abbey.

Difference Between IPL and Cold IPA

From what I can find the only real difference between the India Pale Lager and Cold IPA is the temperature of fermentation. Both use clean lager strains and new world hops. Both use bittering and dry hopping regiments. Most hoppy lagers, such as IPL or West Coast Lager are cold fermented at around 55 degrees. Cold IPA on the other hand is fermented a little warmer at around 65 degrees. The theory being that the esters produced by the yeast at the higher temp compliments the new world hops, but in turn makes Cold IPA taste more like an IPA made with ale yeast than a hoppy lager.

Weihenstephan

Thank You!