There’s a great range of IPAs in the Top 30 this year – from the brightly elegant Hop Elixir from newcomers Martinborough Brewery, to the more traditional Apehanger IPA from Bootleg Brewery, through to the sleek, higher alcohol offerings —Baylands Skull Cracker and Urbanaut Bronx Double IPA.
What all these IPAs have in common is an accent of fruity hops, with the bitterness pared back just a tad.
As a rule, IPAs love to sit down at a bar with fatty, salty food such as burgers, hotdogs, BBQ ribs, pulled pork. The rule is: big beers need bold food. The exception to that rule here is the Martinborough Hop Elixir — this has a light, bright nature that’s quite well suited to a roast chicken, but perhaps one with a little spice. Apehanger IPA, as the name might suggest, has a bit more grunt and will hang well with St Louis ribs as a dinner companion.
The Skull Cracker from Baylands and Bronx Double IPA from Urbanaut are both high ABV IPAs and possess an oily, resinous quality that works well with burgers and hotdogs alike, as long as they’re laden with onions and sauces.
Check out which of your favourite brews pair with our delicious recipes