What Is the Difference Between IPA and Beer?

Every IPA is a beer, but not every beer is an IPA. The main difference comes down to style, ingredients, and that big, bold punch of hops that IPAs are famous for.

Let's break it all down so the next time you're choosing between an IPA beer and a classic lager, you'll know exactly what you're sipping on.

So… Is IPA Even Beer?

Yes. An IPA is absolutely beer. Think of "beer" as a giant family tree, and "IPA" as one very loud branch sitting on it.

IPA stands for India Pale Ale, and it's a specific beer style that falls under the pale ale category. The name comes from a fun piece of history: back in the 1800s, British brewers were shipping beer to soldiers stationed in India, and the long sea voyage was wreaking havoc on their casks. Their solution? Load the beer up with extra hops (a natural preservative) and crank up the alcohol a bit. The result was a stronger, hoppier pale ale that survived the journey and accidentally kicked off one of the most popular beer styles in the world.

What Exactly Is "Beer"?

Beer is the umbrella term covering thousands of brews made from four simple ingredients:

• Water
• Malted grains (usually barley)
• Hops
• Yeast

That's it. Every beer starts with some version of those four things. What makes each beer style unique is how brewers tweak the amounts, the temperatures, and the brewing process itself.

The Two Main Beer Families

All beer falls into two big families based on the yeast strain used:

• Ales: brewed with top-fermenting yeast at warmer temperatures. They tend to have a fuller, more expressive flavor profile with fruity notes. IPAs live here.
• Lagers: brewed with a lager strain of yeast that ferments cold and slow. Using lager yeast produces a cleaner, crisper beer taste. Classic American "light" beers live here.

When you're comparing an IPA to a standard American lager, you're really comparing two different branches of the same family, each with its own personality.

What Makes an IPA an IPA?

An IPA is a hop-forward pale ale with big aromas, noticeable hop bitterness, and often a higher ABV than your average lager. Here's what brewers do to create that signature IPA character:

• Heavy hop additions in the boil kettle for that classic bitter backbone
• Dry hop additions after fermentation (a technique called dry hopping) to pack in aroma without adding more bitterness
• Special brewing techniques that let hop flavor take center stage while malt plays a supporting role

The result? A beer with a medium body, a punchy hop flavor, and aromas ranging from pine and citrus to tropical fruit. If you want to taste what a world-class example looks like, the Best IPAs Gift Basket from GiveThemBeer is hand-picked to showcase exactly what a great IPA should be.

IPA vs Beer: The Side-by-Side Breakdown

Here's a quick comparison of a typical IPA vs a typical American lager (the "beer" most people picture when they hear the word):

One big takeaway: IPAs generally have a higher ABV than standard lagers. That's thanks to a bigger malt bill, which gives the yeast more sugar to convert into alcohol.

The Many Types of IPA

Here's where it gets fun. "IPA" isn't one single thing. It's an entire category with a dozen or more sub-styles. Two IPAs sitting next to each other on the shelf can taste wildly different.

Popular IPA Styles

• West Coast IPA: the original American take. Clear, bitter, piney, with a dry finish. The style that kicked off the American craft beer revolution.
• Hazy IPA (New England IPA): cloudy, soft, and loaded with juicy fruit flavors. Low on bitterness, high on aroma. A hazy ipa drinks more like tropical juice than a traditional bitter beer.
• Juicy IPA: close cousin of the hazy ipa. Emphasizes mango, orange, and pineapple character. A juicy ipa is a great gateway for anyone nervous about bitterness.
• Double IPA (Imperial IPA): bigger malt bill, more hops, and a higher ABV (often 8–10%+). A double ipa is not for the faint of heart.
• Session IPA: all the hop flavor, lower alcohol content. Perfect for a long afternoon.
• Black IPA: dark roasted malts meet a hop-forward beer recipe. Think stout color with IPA punch.
• Cold IPA: a newer style where brewers use a lager strain with ale-style hopping. The cold ipa is crisp, dry, and dangerously drinkable.
• Brut IPA: super dry, almost champagne-like in finish.

The United States leads the world in IPA innovation, with thousands of craft breweries constantly experimenting with new brewing techniques. If you want to taste several styles without tracking each one down yourself, the IPA Beer Gift Basket from GiveThemBeer is a fun way to do it in one shipment.

How the Brewing Process Differs

Every beer follows the same basic brewing process: mash the grains to extract sugars, boil the wort with hops, ferment with yeast, and package. But IPAs diverge from standard lagers in a few important ways.

What IPA Brewers Do Differently

• More hops, added at more stages. IPAs get hops in the boil kettle for bitterness, late additions for flavor, and a dry hop after fermentation for aroma. Some brewers dry hop two or three times.
• Specific yeast strains. Many hazy IPAs use a particular yeast strain that boosts fruity flavor and creates that signature cloudy look. A few adventurous brewers even experiment with wild yeast for funky, tart twists on the style.
• Warmer fermentation. Ale yeast works its magic at warmer temperatures, which brings out fruity esters that give IPAs their expressive character.
• Bigger malt bills for stronger versions. Double IPAs and imperial styles need more grain to fuel that higher alcohol content.

Compare that to lager brewing: cold fermentation with a lager yeast over a longer period, resulting in that clean, crisp beer taste you get from a classic pilsner or American light lager.

Flavor Profile: What Your Taste Buds Should Expect

Let's talk about what actually hits your tongue.

What a Regular Beer Tastes Like

A standard lager or pale ale is usually:

• Crisp, clean, and lightly bready or grainy from lighter malt
• Mildly bitter, with hops playing a supporting role
• Easy-drinking and refreshing. Great for hot days, big crowds, or classic bar food

What an IPA Tastes Like

An IPA delivers a much bigger experience for your taste buds:

• Bold upfront hop bitterness (in traditional styles)
• Big aromatic punch: citrus, pine, mango, grapefruit, passionfruit
• Hazy and juicy versions lean heavily into soft fruit flavors with almost no bitterness
• A finish that can range from dry and crisp to full and resinous, depending on the style

Quick tip for new IPA drinkers: start with a hazy or juicy style before working your way up to a West Coast or double IPA. You'll build up your palate without getting hit by a wall of bitterness on your first sip. Keep in mind, too, that the bottled version of an IPA can taste slightly different from the canned or draft version. Hops are sensitive to light and oxygen, so freshness matters.

So Which One Should You Drink?

Honestly? It comes down to personal preference. There's no wrong answer here.

• Reach for a regular beer when you want something crisp, refreshing, and easy to drink for hours.
• Reach for an IPA when you want a bold, aromatic, hoppy beer that gives your taste buds something to chew on.
• Try a sampler when you can't decide. Tasting a few side by side is the best way to figure out what you actually love.

Good people drink good beer, and the best way to find your favorite is to keep trying new ones.

The Easiest Way to Explore IPA Beer: Send a Gift Basket

Here's the fun part: you don't have to track down every style yourself. GiveThemBeer makes it simple to explore craft beer (or send it as a gift) anywhere in the country.

We carry both crisp light beers and hop-packed IPAs, so whether your recipient is a lager loyalist or a hazy ipa fanatic, there's a basket with their name on it.

Ready to make someone's day? Shop our Beer Gift Baskets, send an IPA Beer Gift Basket, browse our Top-Rated Beer Gift Baskets, or go all-in with the Best IPA.