IPA
Hop and complex flavor enthusiasts have known them for a long time: IPA beers. An IPA is a dark blond or copper-colored beer with spicy and fruity notes and a bitter finish. Depending on the type of hops used by brewers, the beer can have an aroma of citrus or tropical fruits.
Discover our wide range of IPA beers below. Choose your favorite beer with a balanced bitterness and a firm foam head. Need help with your purchase? Contact us at Belgian Beer Heaven. We’ll be happy to assist you. That way, you’ll soon enjoy a delightfully surprising and refreshing Belgian beer.
The meaning and origin of IPA
IPA stands for "Indian Pale Ale". The basis of the recipe lies in the classic pale ale. In the 18th century, an English brewer decided to ship his beer to India. To ensure that his beer would survive the long overseas journey and remain tasty, he added extra hops to his pale ale. This natural preservative also gave the beer the complex and bitter taste of the Indian Pale Ale we know today. Over the centuries, many brewers experimented with the recipe and special hop varieties. This gave rise to the Coast IPA, the New England IPA, and the double IPA in America.
Buy an IPA beer and enjoy complex flavors
It is the type of hops that determines the flavor of an IPA. This gives the beer a floral or spicy flavor with hints of citrus or even pine needles. The bitterness of IPA beers is expressed in IBU, or International Bitterness Units.
The styles of IPA beers
Within the range of Indian Pale Ales, you will find several types of IPA beers, each with their own specific characteristics and flavors.
- English IPA: beers with a balanced flavor and moderate bitterness. You can taste the earthy character of English hops.
- American IPA: a beer with a pronounced hop flavor and high bitterness. Notes of citrus and pine.
- West Coast IPA: a style of American IPA, a very bitter beer with flavors of resin and pine.
- New England IPA: a hazy and fruity beer with a creamy texture and a soft citrus flavor.
- Belgian IPA: an IPA brewed with Belgian hops. An ideal combination of spicy and fruity.
Popular Belgian breweries of IPA beers
Our selection includes various breweries offering hoppy beers. Discover the most popular Belgian brewers bringing high-fermentation IPA beers to the market.
- Brewery Duvel Moortgat produces, among others, the Duvel Triple Hop Citra and the Duvel Triple Hop Cashmere, two stronger beers with 9% alcohol. And the Vedett IPA, a beer with 5% alcohol.
- Brewery Het Ij introduced "Het Ij IPA", a dark blond Indian Pale Ale of 9%, and "Het Ij Free IPA", a refined alcohol-free variant.
Struggling to decide? Order a beer package with IPA beers and be surprised by an original selection of blond beers or amber beers. Prefer no alcohol but still want the bittersweet taste of an IPA? Discover our range of alcohol-free beers.
Dishes to pair with IPA beers
A complex yet accessible IPA beer pairs with many dishes. Discover some examples below and serve the most delicious culinary surprises.
- Spicy dishes like a Thai curry or Mexican tacos: citrusy IPA beers create a nice balance with pronounced and spicy flavors.
- Grilled meat: pair the caramel tones of your roasted meat with the bittersweet notes of your IPA beer.
- Aged cheeses: the intense flavors of aged cheese go perfectly with the complexity of IPA beers.
- Fruity desserts: serve your hoppy IPA beer with a fresh and sweet dessert.
Serve your IPA beers in matching beer glasses and fully enjoy their complex flavors.
Buy your IPA beers at Belgian Beer Heaven
Enjoy a beer with surprising and complex flavors of hops, caramel, and citrus. Discover our selection of Belgian beers above. Also, check out our full assortment. With a stock of over 1,600 different beers, you can serve the best beers. Place your order and enjoy fast and insured shipping. Questions about your purchase? Contact us, we’ll be happy to help.
