This IPA cocktail breaks all the rules

No style of beer has taken the world by storm quite as much as the IPA. From the juicy, lush West Coast IPAs to the more hazily defined East Coast IPAs, you’ll find a whole world of styles and flavors within this booming beer category.

The one thing that all IPAs have in common in a strong, hoppy flavor — though not all IPAs have to be bitter hop bombs. And while the style has traditionally be associated with higher abvs to carry more flavor, there are also a range of low-abv options which have become available in recent years, so you can enjoy an IPA that you can sip on all day.

As today is National IPA Day, you might want to get out a can of the classic. From the ever popular Elysian Brewing’s Space Dust IPA, to the venerable classic Sierra Nevada’s California IPA, there are plenty of IPAs available across the country. But also have a look around your local area, as you’ll find smaller breweries creating their own spin on the style that are unique to your region.

An IPA cocktail

Conventional wisdom says that an IPA belongs in a beer glass, nicely chilled, with no additions whatsoever. But I never met a drink I didn’t want to try to make a cocktail with, and the IPA is no exception.

So if you’re feeling particularly adventurous and you don’t mind committing some beer blasphemy, the IPA Cocktail is a fun one to try. It uses the bitterness and heft of the IPA along with sweetness from Aperol and zing from red grapefruit juice.

Ingredients:

• 5 parts IPA
• 1 part Aperol
• 1 part red grapefruit juice
• Sugar syrup to taste

Method:

Start off by shaking the Aperol, juice, and sugar syrup with ice. Strain into a beer glass, then top with the IPA. Garnish with a grapefruit slice.