1990 Historic West Coast IPA

The Original Craft IPA

By 1990, a new chapter in the story of IPA was unfolding on the west coast of North America. Inspired by British pale ales but no longer bound by them, early craft brewers began pushing the style in a bold new direction. Newly available American hop varieties like Comet, Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook brought vivid aromas of pine, citrus, and resin, along with a firmer, more assertive bitterness than most drinkers had ever encountered.

At the same time, advances in malting and fermentation allowed for cleaner, more consistent beers. Carefully kilned pale and crystal malts gave these IPAs their signature deep copper colour, while neutral yeast strains let the hops take centre stage.

These were not the hazy, fruit-forward IPAs of today, but something sharper and more structured. They were brighter and more bitter.

Our 1990 West Coast IPA recreates that first wave of craft brewing: crisp, piney, and firmly bitter, capturing the moment IPA was reinvented for a new generation. This beer uses 100% of it’s hops from the incomparable Myrtle Meadows Hop Farm in Pemberton BC. We select not just the varieties but the specific hop plants we use for this beer, creating a hop blend you won’t find anywhere else.

Availability: Year-round

First Produced: 2024

Alc/vol 6.5%