When I think of the classic beer styles that have filled our glasses for hundreds of years, I think of the greats like saisons, stouts, lagers, and pilsners, just to name a few. But each of these famous styles were once revolutionary in their own time. They all disrupted the status quo, forever changed the landscape of beer, and have continued to evolve and shift as time goes on. But who would have guessed a thick, sweet, and fruity beer would emerge from the beautiful and bitter India Pale Ale? Nevertheless, here we are in 2019, brewing the milkshake IPA.
To say a milkshake IPA is similar to a classic IPA would be like saying a cotillion is similar to Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street—sure, they’re both formal gatherings, but that’s about where the similarities end. There is a massive gap between the realities of these two liquids.
Even though the definition can be ambiguous, most people agree on the basics of a milkshake IPA. It’s a New England-style IPA (NEIPA) with:
- Irresponsible amounts of unfermentable sugars (i.e. Lactose)
- Vanilla
- Fruits and purees
- Spices
- A slew of ingredients that you could find at a Coldstone Creamery ice cream shop