6 Wisconsin ways to celebrate IPA Day

Thursday is a day for craft beer drinkers to profess their love for the India pale ale style of beer. Look for #IPAday on your favorite social media platform.

It’s a day for me to confess that I’m not in love with the IPA. I’ve grown to like it, even respect it, but I rarely reach for IPA unless I’m researching a brewery or beer for work.

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The fact that I write about beer but can’t bring myself to gush over every IPA ever made, makes me feel a bit like a poser or at least out of step with the typical beer geek.

Last year IPA sales grew 49 percent, accounting for a 23 percent dollar share of off-premise craft beer sales. Not only does the IPA have its own day, it even has its own website.

The obsession over IPAs is interesting to me, because it’s such a divisive beer style. There are beer geeks who drink IPAs almost to the exclusion of every other style. Then there are those who crinkle their nose after one sip followed by the question, “How can you drink that stuff?” (They probably assume IPA lovers had their taste buds shredded in a horrible childhood accident.)

When I started drinking craft beer I was an IPA nose wrinkler, much like when I first started drinking coffee. The early days of coffee included plenty of sugar; now it’s about five cups a day black.

These days I’m finding an occasional IPA making my mix-six selections.

It could be my taste buds are changing. It could be brew masters have stopped trying to one-up each other on the bitterness scale. It’s probably a little of both.

Here are six IPAs I’ve found, so far, that I enjoy (just not all at one sitting):

Fixed Gear American Red IPA, Lakefront Brewery: Purists may argue this isn’t an IPA, but the trademark bitterness and citrus flavors are present, they’re just balanced by the caramel notes and sweetness typical of amber ales.

Purists may argue this isn’t an IPA, but the trademark bitterness and citrus flavors are present, they’re just balanced by the caramel notes and sweetness typical of amber ales. Super Kind, Stillmank Brewing: This IPA lives up to its name with citrus flavors (without tasting like it was blended with liquified the grapefruit rinds) and bitterness that refreshes more than assaults your palate.

This IPA lives up to its name with citrus flavors (without tasting like it was blended with liquified the grapefruit rinds) and bitterness that refreshes more than assaults your palate. Green Chop Session IPA, Badger State Brewing: The first IPA I tried that didn’t cause my nose to wrinkle. Plus it’s a session beer, meaning the ABV isn’t sky high.

The first IPA I tried that didn’t cause my nose to wrinkle. Plus it’s a session beer, meaning the ABV isn’t sky high. Glacial Trail India Pale Ale, Central Waters Brewing: More earthy and pine tasting notes than citrus, which is characteristic of English style IPAs.

More earthy and pine tasting notes than citrus, which is characteristic of English style IPAs. Really Cool Waterslides, 3 Sheeps Brewing: Leans a little more to the citrus notes with a little more bite.

Leans a little more to the citrus notes with a little more bite. Lakefront India Pale Ale, Lakefront Brewery: This IPA lives right on the edge of my hoppy/bitterness range, but the citrus flavors and crisp finish are worth challenging your taste buds.

If you’re not sure about diving into full-blown IPAs, try a few pale ales, which have similar flavors but generally aren’t as bitter as IPAs. Here are a few worth a sip:

Bare Bottom Madness, Door County Brewing: Oats meet hops in this American pale ale providing earthy notes that keep the bitterness in check.

Oats meet hops in this American pale ale providing earthy notes that keep the bitterness in check. Hopalicious, Ale Asylum: With that name, I thought for sure this would be a sip and dump beer, I was wrong. Hopalicious has “hop flavor without crazy bitterness,” as promised in the brewer’s description. Their Demento also fits this bill and has a lower ABV.

With that name, I thought for sure this would be a sip and dump beer, I was wrong. Hopalicious has “hop flavor without crazy bitterness,” as promised in the brewer’s description. Their Demento also fits this bill and has a lower ABV. Hopdinger, O’so Brewing: Getting a bit hoppier, but a good dose of malt keeps it from sliding into the bitter range.

Daniel Higgins writes about food and drink for Gannett Wisconsin Media, dphiggin@gannett.com, Twitter and Instagram @HigginsEats, facebook.com/gwmdanhiggins.