Forecast: Hazy
When Sunset Beach resident Kristian House took over ownership of the Hale‘iwa Bottle Shop in 2017, an in-the-know employee tipped him off about the growing popularity of Hazy IPAs, a subsect of then ubiquitous American IPA. But he never would have predicted the near meteoric rise of the style, noting at the time, beer aficionados were chasing super extreme — very bitter, very high in alcohol — versions of the IPA. Examples of the Hazy, with its fun, juicy unfiltered profile — which he describes as ‘crowd pleasing’ — “started flowing in shortly after that and got popular really, really fast,” he says. By the time he opened the stylish open-air Kahuku Beer Garden & Bottle Shop in 2021, having at least one Hazy IPA, usually from local breweries like Hana Koa or Howzit, on the tap lines was non-negotiable. “It’s probably our No. 2, if not No. 1 seller,” he says, about why he makes sure to feature a rotation of Hazy IPA selections. “People chasing Double and Triple West Coast IPAs have gone by the wayside, and now it’s [all about the] really good Hazy’s.”
If you’re new to beer lingo, the vast number of IPA styles out there might be a little intimidating. Here’s the scoop: America has had a longstanding love affair with the IPA (India Pale Ale), a style developed by the Brits when they realized that adding extra hops to ales would help the beer withstand long sea journeys to India and other colonies. Fast-forward a couple centuries, when then the nascent American craft brewing scene became enamored with making India Pale Ale style beers with hops from American-grown hops, like Cascade and Citra. The American IPA style boomed, and whole new branch of the IPA family tree was sprouted, making kingpins out of brands like Sierra Nevada.
From there, things get a little more esoteric. West Coast IPAs, from craft beer and hop hotspots in the Pacific Northwest and California, became known for their extremely bitter, almost resin-like profile, with fans chasing IBUs (a measurement that shows how bitter a beer can be — and breweries willing to meet the demand by ‘dry-hopping’ beers (which adds another layer of bitterness). The New England IPA — aka “Hazy IPA” — is a relatively recent offshoot. It tends to be unfiltered and therefore appears “hazy,” which is also helped out by the choice of yeasts. For the record keepers, there are a plethora of other IPA styles, including a double or imperial IPA (higher in alcohol), sour (a cross between sour ales and IPAs), and milkshake IPAs (Hazy or New England IPAs with lactose added for a smooth texture).
House says that while there will always be a place for a range of styles on his menus, including other IPAs, but he’s happy to keep his customers happy by sourcing great examples of the Hazy style. “There will always be at least one Hazy on tap,” he says. “I feel like I would be failing if I didn’t have one.”
Curious to learn more? Here are some local examples you need to know, now:
HANA KOA BREWING CO.
This always excellent O‘ahu brewery always has one or two Hazy IPAs — if not more — on their ever-changing menu. At press time, for instance, the Rad Sauce, which comes in 16-ounce cans, has juice notes of orange, strawberry and pineapple, and clocks in at 6.1 ABV.
hanakoabrewing.com
HOWZIT BREWING
This brand-new local outfit keeps a range of limited-edition styles on their tap lines at their Kaka‘ako brewery from the Solar Excursion, which they describe as “an old school juice bomb of a Hazy,” with notes of orange, tangerine, and nectarine.
@howzitbrewing
MAUI BREWING CO.
The granddaddy of Hawai‘i breweries has a few seasonal Hazy IPAs on the market in cans, including a POG Hazy, which is brewed with actual fruits, including local passionfruit, guava and orange and OMG Hazy, which swaps out the liliko‘i for mango.
mauibrewingco.com
LANIKAI BREWING
Kailua’s most prolific brewery occasionally has seasonal IPAs on their ever-changing draft lines. The East Side Haze, which was brewed with local vanilla, was a favorite.
lanikaibrewing.com