The West Coast is an aspirational place, a state of mind, and the birthplace of craft beer. And while the IPA (including Pale Ale) didn’t originate in the US, California is where the style became Americanized and the foundation was laid for thousands of brewery openings over the last decade. The West Coast IPA began with a distinct identity, still open to local and regional interpretation, but wasn’t a point of contention among brewers nor confusion among customers. A decade of evolution, hop innovation, and the Hazy IPA interruption has resulted in a splintered understanding of what West Coast IPA means.

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