Introducing "Hazy"

HBO’s streaming platform recently made the decision to simplify its name from HBO Max, to just Max, and they’re getting blasted by meme accounts. The entertainment & media company has become well-known across five decades of work for its high caliber, premium programming so it was puzzling to see them rebrand away from one of the most powerful names in television. While still very much known as HBO, the streaming arm was too closely associated with a reputation for adult-focused content. Investments in family-friendly programming were not bearing enough fruit so the HBO name was ultimately blamed and dropped.

In craft beer, “Hazy IPAs” rose to prominence last decade by bearing more yeast & hop-derived fruit flavor that anyone realized was possible. Despite the long list of differences from what was traditionally known as an India Pale Ale, “hazies” built their name the back of IPA fueling an additional wave of growth and opportunity for the industry. Existing in parallel with their clearer, bitter parent for 8+ years, Hazy IPAs have generated a lot confusion in the market during this time. At this point in the maturation process and divergence of audiences, it may be time for IPA (HBO) to do the unthinkable and disassociate from Hazy (Max).

Last week I posted a TikTok video highlighting three IPAs that I consider to be perfect examples of an India Pale Ales. I prefaced that I would not be selecting one from the brewery I work at, or even the city I live in. What I didn’t make clear (pun intended) is that I wasn’t considering any Hazy IPAs because to me that’s a completely separate bucket. While the list generally went over well, the comments were filled with Hazy IPAs that I “must have missed” and of course plenty of people telling me that I don’t know what I’m talking about.

I couldn’t imagine creating a list and trying to rank Treehouse’s Julius up against Russian River’s Bling Pig. Both are great, but they have far more in common in their style name than they do in their actual drinking experience. So to be equitable, I followed up that post with a video of my top four Hazy IPAs which surprisingly gained a solid consensus. While separating the two styles is standard in beer competitions, the battle on the shelf, on packaging, and here on social media does not experience the same boundary lines.

The problem stems from the fact that over the last ten years, “IPA” has widened its tent to the point that it evolved from a beer style to an entire umbrella of hoppy sub-styles. It’s not unprecedented as we see Lager serving as the parent to very distinct styles like Pilsner, Bock, or Schwarzbier, while Sour can represent Lambic, American Wild Ales, Gose, and even over-fruited Smoothie beers. The challenge for IPA lies in the reality that only the most engaged consumers follow this broadening definition leaving the majority to associate the differences in sub-styles to variations of quality, despite the brewer’s intention.

When it comes to brewing with purpose, respecting beer styles, historical meanings, and today’s practical marketing application, there’s nobody in the game who I look to more than Firestone Walker. Their brewers regularly make themselves accessible via social media, podcasts and articles, providing a strong influence on my own perspective. So I couldn’t help but grin last week when I got their newsletter in my inbox showing off this new t-shirt which shows IPA and Hazy as two different categories among Stout and Pilsner.

Originally introducing "Hazy” under the IPA umbrella was a no-brainer at the time and fueled its rabid adoption. While good for growth, so much confusion has occurred in its wake that it’s no surprise that so many drinkers are jaded. Now that Hazy IPAs have earned their seat at the table, reaching mainstream status, the “IPA” piece of their name may no longer be necessary. There’s no historical connection to exporting these juice-bombs to British colonies, nor are they typically Pale. “Hazy” is already being used as a nickname so let’s make it official and spin it off entirely. If HBO Max can do the unthinkable and drop “HBO”, could Hazy IPA do the unthinkable and drop “IPA”?