But wait, what exactly is IPA?

IPA dates back to 18th-century England when breweries started shipping large quantities of pale ale to the growing population of British traders and naval officers stationed in India. The idea was that adding extra hops to a pale ale would make it more suitable for long journeys and consumption in a hot climate. At first it was also called things like "pale ale as prepared for India" and "pale export India ale."

"IPAs have become synonymous with something very hoppy, and modern American IPAs in particular are characterized by bold hops, though historically that flavor wasn't as strong," says Megan Saxelby, the manager at New York City specialty beer shop in Grand Central Station, Beer Table Pantry. "It is an identifiable style, because 'bitter' is a super identifiable flavor profile."

To help you raise a cold pint to IPA day, Saxelby gave us a rundown on 10 of her favorite IPAs.