You're excused if you've never heard of IPA day. Last year was its inaugural run, and those who celebrated did so under no guarantee that it would return for a second year. But apparently the buzz was sufficient (respect the pun, please), and now it returns to us on August 2^nd.

If you're wondering why we should celebrate the IPA instead of, say, pilsners or porters, the answer is simple: Neither pilsners nor porters can claim to be America's quintessential craft beer. That is a title held by the boldest and bitterest of all craft beers, the IPA.

But halt, you say! Stop the bottle opener! Doesn't IPA stand for India pale ale? How is that an American craft beer? It just is. We successfully nationalized the french fry, right? And what about the hamburger? Without the contributions of Hamburg, Germany, we might never have become such a powerful cheeseburger nation. These foods evolved from older cultures, and that's precisely what's happened with the IPA. America has declared squatters rights on the India pale ale. That’s just how we roll.

The best part about IPA day is that it requires only one thing, and it's something you're probably pretty good at. You just have to drink IPA. Better still if you drink with fellow beer-lovers, and best of all if you introduce IPA to friends who don't realize that there are more than three breweries in America. (Oh, and if you Tweet, you can use the #IPADay hashtag to synch up with other beer nerds.)

So without further ado, here are 7 of the best IPAs the world has ever seen. Ready to start drinking? Good. Now hop to it. (Awesome pun #2, for those counting.)

New Belgium Ranger
6.5% ABV

Ranger is a perfect example of how to showcase hops without overwhelming the palate. The 70 IBU beer pours with a big frothy head that attacks your olfactory glands with floral and citrus aromas, and when you sip, the hops immediately spread across your tongue to massage your taste buds with bitterness. It leaves you with a white-pepper finish and the gentle feeling that you were a hop flower in past life.

Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA
7% ABV

Not to disparage the incredible IPAs coming from East Coast brewers, but it's the West Coast faction that ultimately calibrated the scale to determine the proper balance between bitterness, aroma, and flavor. And among the West Coast beers, few nail that balance as accurately as Racer 5. It relies on four classic IPA hop varieties to meld classic Pacific Northwest aromas and flavors with an angry bitterness of 75 IBUs.

Oskar Blues Deviant Dale's IPA
8% ABV

Ever had Dale's Pale Ale? By all accounts it's a perfect beer, and at 65 IBUs, it's easily bitter enough to classify as an IPA. This is that beer's evil twin. Deviant Dale adds an extra 20 IBUs and 1.5 percentage points to the ABV, yet somehow he preserves all the drinkability of the original pale ale. Perhaps it's the way bitter acids disseminate across your palate or the apricot maltiness that mitigates their impact, but whatever the case, count this as another Oskar Blues’ masterpiece.

Sam Adams Dark Depths Baltic IPA
7.6% ABV

This isn't your typical IPA. First off, it's the least bitter of any beer on this list. Second, it's dominated by atypical flavors like fig, cola, and toffee . And third, it's a lager—not an ale.  But don't let that dissuade you. It's a delightfully smooth fusion beer that turns the hop's citrus and pine down to a whisper volume. It's a great option for those who prefer to dip their toes gently into IPA Day.

Southern Tier Unearthly Imperial IPA
9.5% ABV

Count this as yet another atypical IPA. But then again, aren’t they all a little atypical? They do not conform easily. Sure this one is sweeter than most. And yeah, it's a little light on the bittering hops. But the citrusy aroma is profound, splashed as it is against a sweet and malty canvas. The alcohol is a blazing 9.5 percent, but it's so delicately spiced and shockingly smooth that you'll probably want to drink the entire 22-ounce bottle by yourself. And why not? IPA day comes but once a year.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA
9% ABV

Remember that "triple hops brewed" gibberish that Miller Lite used to rave about? That means they add hops three times over the course of about an hour. With this beer, Dogfish adds hops about 90 times over the course of an hour and a half, and the result is one of the best—if not the best—imperial IPAs you'll ever drink. The malt profile is dominated by toasty, caramel, coffee-like flavor. I recommend you pour a glass first thing in the morning and sip it alongside your pancakes and maple syrup.

Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA
10.8% ABV

Stone's Ruination is part of the initiation process for a budding hophead. It's a stalwart, a shining example of extreme hopping. And this year marks its 10^th anniversary. To honor the occasion, Stone has crafted this limited-edition 10^th anniversary beer. The brewery took an already extreme beer, cranked the alcohol by about 40 percent, and doubled the amount of hops it uses in the boil. The result is magnificent and shot through with flavors of baked bread, spice, and citrus. It has a dry finish, almost salty, and it leaves you longing for the next sip. Go now. Find a bottle before it's too late.

 

Via: Celebrate IPA Day With The 7 Best IPAs