Always Bet On Black, IPAs (Part Two)

Craft beer’s competitive state has continued to escalate in 2024. The stakes for each decision are growing, while the margin for error shrinks. When most were counting out the Black IPA as having any role in keeping the plane flying, others stared danger in the face and doubled down on this underdog of a style. The tension created by combining a rich, roast character from dark malts conflicts with the intense bitterness from the classic hops, providing a nostalgic, seasonal expression that puts drinkers into a specific time and place. Just when you thought the Black IPA had gone down, it’s back in flight and finding a new cruising altitude. If you caught Part 1, buckle up for the second leg of one of craft beer’s most turbulent styles.

8. Third Wave of 2024

When the Black IPA came back in 2020-2021, the growth chart formed a candlestick formation shooting up toward the sky. A pullback of releases was the natural next step after hitting an unsustainable high thanks to the euphoria surrounding the big comeback during the onset of COVID. As the shine wore off over the next two years, brewers looked elsewhere to fuel excitement, or to the iterations of Cold IPA mentioned in Part 1. But the Black IPA appeared to have found a new local bottom in 2023 and investment has poured back into the style.

Lawson’s Finest Liquids came out swinging early in the year when they released Path of Totality in honor of the April 8th solar eclipse, even using Eclipse hops to lean into the theme of nature’s spectacle. As a strong, mission-driven brewery, they put this Good Brews for a Cause release in their Social Impact Program, which benefits local organizations throughout the year and have donated more than $2 million since 2018. Proceeds from the beer benefitted ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, whose mission is to inspire and engage families in the joy of scientific discovery, wonder of nature and care of Lake Champlain.

Ohio’s Land Grant Brewing did something similar with Space-Grant totality, going the extra mile by using the opportunity to collaborate with COSI, Columbus’ Center of Science and Industry.