IPA has come a long way since its origins in Britain. While the name dates back to beers brewed for the journey to India, today's IPAs cover a huge range of styles, all built around one thing: hops. Depending on how they're brewed, that can mean bright citrus, tropical fruit, pine, fresh flowers, ripe stone fruit or punchy resinous bitterness. Some are light and crisp, others are soft and juicy, and plenty sit somewhere in between.

The style has evolved faster than almost any other. West Coast IPAs are clean, bitter and packed with classic American hop character, while New England or Hazy IPAs dial back the bitterness in favour of a fuller body and loads of juicy fruit flavour. Session IPAs keep things lighter without losing the hop punch, and Double or Imperial IPAs turn everything up a notch. There isn't really a single definition of what an IPA should taste like anymore, which is exactly what makes the category so much fun to explore.