Amy Sherman | asherma2@mlive.com

Pictured is a very delicious 51 K IPA from Blackrocks Brewery.

BY AMY SHERMAN | asherma2@mlive.com

National IPA Day is happening this Thursday, August 3, and is a chance to experience and celebrate a beer that honors the greatness of hops. Across Michigan, there are events, special releases, and great IPA's to try all day.

India Pale Ale (IPA) is a style of beer that has soared in popularity over the last few years. Loaded with hops, IPA's have a distinct bitterness, with flavors derived from hops that can range from citrus, to grass, to pine as well as many other flavors. Originally brewed in England as a beer that could withstand the long journey to India (hops act as a preservative in the beer), IPA's are now one of the most popular styles around.

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Amy Sherman | asherma2@mlive.com

No matter what specific type of IPA you are enjoying, these beers are going to be all about that fantastic plant that provides the bitter balance in beer, hops. There are hundreds of different varietals of these perennial vines, and each one imparts a distinct and different flavor to the beer.

Beers are often labeled with a number of IBU's. This represents the "International Bittering Units", a way to measure the amount of hops in a beer. This can be a pretty good indicator of how bitter the beer will taste, but a variety of factors can affect not only the flavor of the brew, but also your perception of it.

A mass market, light beer, like a Budweiser will have about 7 IBU's. Most IPA's will come in between 35 and 80 IBU's, with double IPA's even higher.

You can learn more about how hops are grown here.

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Amy Sherman | asherma2@mlive.com

Some of the styles of IPA"s that you might come across:

Classic English-a more balanced version, where the hops don't slap you in the face.Smooth, yet bitter, lighter in mouthfeel, and a distinct finish. Brewed with hops that are a bit more subtle.

West Coast-this style has low malt characteristics, allowing the big, citrusy hop profile to really come through. A dry finish is also important for the true hop aroma to shine.

New England (or Omaha style)-hate it or love it, this is the newest beer style trend in Michigan. Juicy, juicy, juicy, very slight bitterness, chewy mouthfeel. Hazy, golden opaqueness when done right, chunks of proteins floating when done wrong.

Double, or Imperial-these are always big beers, not just in flavor, but also ABV's. More of everything is the key. Double the malt bill creates the body, mouth feel and alcohol, while double the hops creates balance. These beers might have high IBU's, but they actually often taste less bitter than a regular IPA when drinking due to all that malt.

Session-lower ABV, from between 3% and 5%, while still remaining a flavorful, big tasting beer are the hallmarks of a great session.

Black-this beer looks like a porter, and drinks like an IPA due to the use of dark roasted malts like black patent and chocolate in the malt bill. This is a newer style, and one not always recognized officially by beer associations.

White-take the hoppy-ness of a traditional IPA, and combine it with the fruity, yeasty flavors of a Witbier, and you have a white IPA. The wheat base can really allow some hop varieties to shine, while this lighter brew refreshes.

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Dark Horse Brewing Company, Marshall

From Dark Horse's Facebook page:

Come celebrate National IPA Day at the Dark Horse! We are going tap heavy with the following IPA's: Crooked Tree IPA

Double Crooked Tree Double IPA (8 oz. only)

Smells Like a Safety Meeting IPA

Smells Like a Citra Safety Meeting IPA

Smells Like a Double Michigan Safety Meeting Imperial IPA (8 oz. only)

Honey Ryder West Coast IPA

Hipster Whisperer Great Lakes Style IPA

Uncle Buck’s Premium Juice IPA We will also be offering IPA Beermosas with your choice of fresh squeezed orange juice or grapefruit juice provided by Dark Horse Commons! 8oz IPA mimosa: $4.00 (DCT & SLADMSM = $6)

12oz IPA mimosa: $5.00

16oz IPA mimosa: $5.50 It is also Free Live Music Thursday in the Beer Garten from 7pm to 9pm with Dave Mininberg!!! Dark Horse was one of our picks for Michigan's Best brewery in 2013. Dark Horse 511 S Kalamazoo Ave

Marshall, Michigan, MI 49068 (269) 781-9940

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Logan's Alley, Grand Rapids

From Logan's Facebook page:

Logan's Alley is serving up the hops for IPA Day!

We'll be offering deep discounts on ALL DRAFT IPAs through our 3 happy hours during the day, featuring brews from M43, Bells, Ellison, Speciation, Founders, Stone, Ballast Point, Dogfish Head and Bear Republic!



All IPA drafts, during happy hours, will be $1.50 - $3.00!



Oh, and there just might be a surprise tapping of a little something from Bell's that hasn't been brewed before! This will be a Logan's Alley exclusive! (Fingers crossed their distributor comes through!)



Why are we offering such an array of glorious beers at such a deep discount? Because Logan's Alley loves you!



Logan's Alley

916 Michigan St NE

Grand Rapids, Michigan, MI 49503

(616) 458-1612

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Visit Cellar a lot? You should check out our Mug Club! pic.twitter.com/kbywMTsSwk — Cellar Brewing Co. (@CellarBrewingCo) July 26, 2017

Cellar Brewing Company, Sparta

Cellar will be offering $1 off of any appetizer with the purchase of an IPA this Thursday.

Cellar Brewing Company

133 E Division St

Sparta, Michigan, MI 49345

(616) 383-1234

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Amy Sherman | asherma2@mlive.com

Tapistry Brewing, Bridgman

Are you a hophead? If so, you need to get to Tapistry Brewing. These guys love hops, and are sure to have a huge selection of hop bombs for National IPA day. One of our picks for Michigan's Best new brewery in 2016, we loved the Heart Full of Napalm double IPA, and the crazy interesting Hoponacci series, where each beer gets just one hop.

Tapistry Brewing

4236 Lake St

Bridgman, Michigan, MI 49106

(269) 266-7349

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Photo used with permission of Harmony Brewing Company.

Harmony Brewing Company, Grand Rapids

Harmony has two locations in Grand Rapids, one in Eastown and one on the West side. They'll be offering their Lovely Day Lavender Chamomile IPA for guests to enjoy, in addition to several other IPA offerings.

Harmony Brewing Company (Eastown)

1551 Lake Dr SE

Grand Rapids, Michigan, MI 49506

(616) 233-0063

Harmony Hall (West side)

401 Stocking Ave NW

Grand Rapids, Michigan, MI 49504

(616) 233-9186

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Did you know Thursday is #IPADay? It's also the first Thursday we have ever been open. So let's celebrate! Thursday... Posted by Brewery 4 Two 4 on Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Brewery 4 Two 4, Holland

Brewery 4 Two 4 will be open for their very first Thursday on August 3. They'll be open from 5-10pm, and five out of ten taps will be IPA's. The beers on tap:

Juice Weasel Citrus IPA 6.7-53 IBU

Sim Cities West Coast IPA 6.9%-75 IBU

Rye'd Along Rye IPA 6.6%-60 IBU

Super Sim DIPA 8.2%-80 IBU

Session Sim IPA 5.1%- 65 IBU

Brewery 4 Two 4

321 Douglas Ave, Ste. 120

Holland MI 49424

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Amy Sherman | asherma2@mlive.com

Pictured are brothers and owners of Hop Lot Steve and Drew Lutke.

Hop Lot Brewing, Suttons Bay

One of our picks for best new brewery in 2016, Hop Lot Brewing Company has an idyllic setting in Suttons Bay. You can sit out side amongst the hop bines, and roast marshmallows over the fire pit. Grab some tacos, and enjoy some of their tasty beers.

We particularly love the Norseman IPA, which is full of piney goodness. Or try the Uncle Green Guy session IPA, which will be totally crushable on a hot day.

Hop Lot Brewing Company

658 S West Bay Shore Dr

Suttons Bay, Michigan, MI 49682

(231) 866-4445

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Creston Brewery, Grand Rapids

According to owner Scott Schultz, their new IPA Bokonon may be the best he's ever made. It'll be on tap Thursday. According to Schultz, it's a "multigrain IPA with absolutely zero caramelor crystal malts. It would be a West coast IPA if it weren't for the low bitterness. It comes in at 45 IBUs. We used these hops in the boil: Chinook, Simcoe, and Citra. Then we dry hopped with Mosaic. Juicy, fruity, refreshing, bold, and dangerous."

Creston Brewery

1504 Plainfield Ave NE

Grand Rapids, Michigan, MI 49505

(616) 805-4523

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Amy Sherman | asherma2@mlive.com

WhichCraft Taproom, Midland

From WhichCraft's Facebook page:

We're celebrating National IPA Day (it really is a thing) with one of the best breweries from the state.



Founders Brewing Co. IPAs:

Centennial IPA. ABV 7.2%

Reds Rye IPA. ABV 6.6%

All Day IPA: Session IPA. ABV 4.7%

ReDANKulous: Imperial Red IPA. ABV 9.5%

Doom: Bourbon-Barrel Aged Imperial IPA. ABV 12.4%

10K IPA: Imperial IPA. ABV 9.2%



Plus, Founders latest Barrel-Aged release, DKML (Barrel-Aged Malt Liquor)

WhichCraft Taproom

124 Ashman St

Midland, Michigan, MI 48640

(989) 832-3395

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Star Chicken decks available in our Annex & online shop. Posted by Greenbush Brewing Co. on Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Greenbush Brewing Company, Sawyer

Another of our picks for Michigan's Best brewery in 2013, Greenbush is known for making big, bold beers that don't necessarily adhere to style guidelines. One of the best named beers of all time is their Star Chicken Shotgun IPA, which features 5 different hops, and a dancing Elvis chicken on the label. If you can find it, there is a double version of Shotgun, called Fuster Cluck.

Greenbush Brewing

5885 Sawyer Rd

Sawyer, Michigan, MI 49125

(269) 405-1076

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Thornapple Brewing Company, Cascade

Thornapple Brewing Company just opened a few months ago, but they already offer a large selection of craft beers and a house made menu of flatbread pizzas, dips, french fries and one killer cheesecake.

For National IPA day they'll have a special beer on tap, a session IPA featuring Wai-iti, Kohatu and Pacific Gem hops.

Thornapple Brewing

6262 28th St

Cascade, Michigan, MI 49546

(616) 288-6907

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Sometimes we listen to Creed while canning. Plz don't judge. pic.twitter.com/MLoEos2Fg6 — Axle Brewing (@AxleBrewing) August 2, 2017

Axle Brewing, Ferndale

Axle Brewing will have several new IPA's on tap, including one that will be available for the very first time, the Defiant One. It is a Northwest style IPA, that comes in at 6.6% ABV and 80 IBU's. They'll also have Residency, which features all Michigan hops and barley, and is a session IPA, and Tragically Hopped, a big and bold double IPA.

Axle Brewing

567 Livernois St

Ferndale, MI 48220

248-284-2422

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Help us celebrate #NationalIPADay this Thursday, August 3rd with $3.00 Pints of Backyard IPA, Singapore IPA, and Mandarina IPA in the Pub! pic.twitter.com/dcO8kJOmb4 — Saugatuck Brewing (@saugatuckbrew) August 2, 2017

Saugatuck Brewing Company, Saugatuck

$3 pints of IPA's will be on tap at Saugatuck Brewing all day on Thursday. Give their Backyard IPA, Singapore IPA, and Mandarina IPA a try.

Saugatuck Brewing Company

2948 Blue Star Hwy

Douglas, Michigan, MI 49406

(269) 857-7222

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Just added DRIPA by #kuhnhennbrew to our menu https://t.co/UmlWd9OTCL — Shakespeares Pub (@shakespub) July 31, 2017

Shakespeare's Pub, Kalamazoo

With over 40 taps of beer, this popular downtown Kalamazoo bar has so many great beers on tap that it's hard to choose what to taste. On Thursday all day long they'll offer $1.50 off every IPA on tap. They always have the very popular M-43 from Old Nation on tap, as well as Bell's Two Hearted and Deschutes Fresh Squeezed.

They also just tapped one of the best Michigan double IPA's out there, Kuhnhenn Brewing Company's DRIPA, a citrusy, big beer enhanced with rice.

Shakespeare's Pub

241 E Kalamazoo Ave

Kalamazoo, Michigan, MI 49007

(269) 488-7782

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Witch's Hat Brewing Company, South Lyon

At Witch's Hat you can try their Double IPA, This Guy, on Thursday. It's a big and juicy beer, that comes in at 7.7% ABV. If you can't quite handle the double, give their other beer That Guy a try, it's a lovely session IPA.

Witch's Hat

601 S Lafayette St

South Lyon, Michigan, MI 48178

(248) 486-2595

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Little Joe's Tavern, Grand Blanc

Little Joe's is a great stop for fantastic food, an incredible Bloody Mary, and a well thought out craft beer list. The staff welcomes all, and on Thursday they'll be offering great deals on IPA's.

The following on draft IPAs will be $3.50 all day long 11am-10pm (while supplies last):



Arcadia Mango Surprise IPA

Shorts Slurm Lord

Stone Give Me IPA or Give Me Death

Bells 2 Hearted

Founders All Day IPA

Little Joe's Tavern

11518 Saginaw St

Grand Blanc, MI 48439

810-694-8391

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Looks like they caught a #TwoHearted brook trout in Colorado! Great photo, Brian, thanks for sharing. 🍻🎣🏔 pic.twitter.com/T5xSgTFEqP — Bell's Brewery (@BellsBrewery) July 29, 2017

Bell's Brewing, Kalamazoo

If there is one IPA from Michigan that everyone knows, it's Two Hearted from Bell's. This totally delicious beer was just named the best beer in America by Zymurgy magazine. Here in Michigan, we've known that this beer is fantastic for years, and it is pretty much available everywhere across the state. It's nice to see one of our favorites get a little national attention. Or a lot of national attention.

Bell's Eccentric Cafe

355 E Kalamazoo Ave

Kalamazoo, Michigan, MI 49007

(269) 382-2332

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We were able to get most of the crew together for a photo yesterday. They've been working their tails off to get beer to you! #MiBeer pic.twitter.com/JePbOb5BnO — Old Nation Brewing (@OldNationBrew) August 1, 2017

Old Nation Brewing

If you haven't tried M-43 yet, you are missing out on what might legit be called the beer of the summer here in Michigan. This New England style, hazy, citrusy IPA has totally taken the beer community by storm. Available on tap, and in cans if you can find it, it's kind of a hop bomb with all sorts of flavors coming through. This is one to pour into a glass, so you can admire it's golden opaqueness.

Old Nation Brewing



1500 W Grand River Ave

Williamston, Michigan, MI 48895

(517) 655-1301

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The Wicked Sister, Sault St. Marie

Wicked Sister will tap two special IPA's on Thursday. From Founder's Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, the very rare double IPA 10K will be released. This is a sipper, that comes in at 9.1% ABV, and is one of those beers that if you come across it, you must taste it. Their other National IPA day tapping is from right across the border, a beer from Ontario from Flying Monkey, called Smashbox IPA. A great opportunity to celebrate IPA day in the UP.

The Wicked Sister

716 Ashmun St

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, MI 49783

(906) 259-1086

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Blackrocks Brewery, Marquette

51 K IPA should be your go to jam any time you are in the Upper Peninsula. It's crisp, refreshing, with just the right amount of bitterness. And it comes in a can. And that means you can take it camping, swimming, kayaking, hiking, paddle boarding, canoeing, or on any other activity that you might enjoy. It's the perfect summer IPA.

Blackrocks Brewery

424 N 3rd St

Marquette, Michigan, MI 49855

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Amy Sherman | asherma2@mlive.com

Grand River Brewery, Jacksoon

Grand River Brewery's Monkey Mouth IPA is their flagship brew, and it’s infinitely drinkable, with nice bright notes, and just the right amount of hops. It's also an award winner, having been awarded the Gold medal for "Best American IPA" at the New York International Beer Competition in 2015.

Grand River Brewery

117 W Louis Glick Hwy

Jackson, Michigan, MI 49201

(517) 962-2427

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Have you checked in your #AllDayIPA to earn our latest @untappd badge? pic.twitter.com/Jb8lGZhXqi — Founders Brewing Co. (@foundersbrewing) August 3, 2017

Founder's Brewing Company, Grand Rapids

Probably the most well known session style IPA in Michigan, if not the country. All Day IPA comes in at a doable 4.7%, so you can have a couple and still stay on top of it. It's crisp, flavorful, and has great balance. Totally crushable.

Founders Brewing Company

235 Grandville Ave SW

Grand Rapids, Michigan, MI 49503

(616) 776-1195

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Brogie's Tavern, Ishpeming

Brogie's will be offering bottles of UP brewery Ore Dock's Reclamation IPA for $3.50 on Thursday. This beer has a nice malt backbone, and feature Chinook, Cascade and Columbus hops.

Brogie's was one of our top picks for Michigan's Best Bloody Mary in 2016.

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MLive file photo

Latitude 42, Kalamazoo

In this American style IPA, with a nod to the UP in the name, Centennial, Citra, Simcoe and Falconers Flight hops create big flavor, while balancing out the malt. Lat's IP EH is earthy, with hints of pine and spice, this will make a hophead happy.

Latitude 42

7842 Portage Rd

Portage, Michigan, MI 49002

(269) 459-4242

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Milt Klingensmith | Mlive

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