Roadmap Brewing’s Mama Duke’s West Coast IPA. Credit: Instagram / roadmapbrewing

Let’s be real, IPAs get a bad rap.

People bitch and moan about how bitter they are, but the truth is, there are so many varieties of IPA — or India Pale Ale, to those unfamiliar with what the initials stand for — that the style holds something for just about every variety of beer lover.

Known for having their pronounced hop character front and center, IPAs can use that floral addition to take on citrusy, fruity, dry or even sour flavors — not just tongue-spiking bitterness. Frequently, they boast a higher-than-average alcohol percentage, but again, not always.

Despite it being oft-misunderstood, the style has garnered a huge following in recent years. Nothing demonstrates its popularity more than the celebration on National IPA Day, which takes place this Thursday.

For those who feel like celebrating, here’s a roundup of worthy IPAs from five Alamo City breweries.

Not My First Rodeo | hazy-style IPA, 6.9% ABV, 32 IBU
Second Pitch Beer Co.’s citrusy, hazy IPA features Sabro, Citra, Centennial, Mosaic and Idaho 7 hops, giving it a robust hop flavor tinged with coconut, grapefruit and orange peel notes. The hazy is one of the brewery’s most-requested beers, which the owners call “a super juicy hazy that even the ‘I don’t drink IPA’ folks love.” Second Pitch Beer Co.,11935 Starcrest Drive, (210) 474-0234, secondpitchbeer.com.

Lupulus IPA | American-style IPA, 7.0% ABV, 70 IBU
Flix Brewhouse’s amber colored Lupulus IPA offers an enjoyable balance between malt and the citrus and floral notes of American hops. However, at 70 on the IBU beer bitterness scale, this isn’t for the faint of heart. IBU measures the bitterness in a beer that’s contributed by hops, specifically, the amount of bitter acids the lupulin supplies, which is likely the namesake of this brew. Flix Brewhouse, 845 TX-1604 Loop, (726) 800-7500, flixbrewhouse.com.

Mama Duke’s | West Coast-style IPA, 6.1% ABV, 85 IBU
 Roadmap Brewing just celebrated its fifth year brewing this highly approachable West Coast IPA, which offers a pleasant Citra and Simcoe hoppiness as well as citrus and pine aromas. Named for the matriarch of the Roadmap family, the amber-colored brew boasts a full body plus light cherry and grapefruit hop flavors. Roadmap Brewing, 723 N. Alamo St., (210) 254-9962, roadmapbrewing.com.

Takes Two to Mango | mango milkshake-style IPA, ABV 5.9%
Newcomer Gather Brewing unveiled this mango milkshake-style IPA brewed with Azacca and Mosaic hops last year, and it’s brought the ale back several times since to appease the masses. According to tasting notes, the brewery uses “a ton of mango” to create this soft, fruity and super juicy brew. Gather Brewing, 210 E. Aviation Blvd., (210) 868-3596, gatherbrewing.co.

Quick Clouds | New England-style IPA, 6.6% ABV, 36 IBU
This easy-drinking New England-style IPA from Free Roam Brewing in Boerne is brewed with Citra, Mosaic, Chinook, Strata and Galaxy hops for tropical fruit-forward notes balanced with oats and wheat. Quick Clouds is one of two IPAs currently offered at Free Roam. Both are fairly approachable thanks to IBU ratings below 40, making them ideal for those looking to ease into the style. Free Roam, 325 S. Main St., (830) 336-5257, Boerne, freeroambrewing.com.

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This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 8, 2023.

Nina Rangel uses nearly 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry to tell the stories of movers and shakers in the food scene in San Antonio. As the Food + Nightlife Editor for the San Antonio...