Focus on: Hazy Pale Ales

In the past 10 years, the line between Pale Ale and IPA (India Pale Ale) has grown hazier. From NEIPAs to XPAs to Session IPAs – the pale ale family continues to grow, blurring the lines between flavours, ABV and brewing methods.

The Hazy Pale Ale is one such style that is exploding in popularity with customers this summer. In advance of the hotly anticipated re-release of their super-popular Lupulin Rivers Hazy Pale Ale on February 2nd, we asked the team from Sydney’s Batch Brewing Company to walk us through what makes a Hazy Pale Ale, where did they come from, and most importantly, what types of customers are buying them.

What is a Hazy Pale?

BATCH BREWING: Simply put, a hazy pale is a lower ABV & slightly lower hopped version of the more well known New England IPA style.

Why is the Hazy Pale so popular right now?

BATCH BREWING: It has definitely come from the "haze craze" that has seen the release of a million and one New England IPA's. Craft beer fans have been mad for the hazy style of IPA's that originated on the East Coast of America and focused on a very different style to the well known and loved West Coast IPA. The NEIPA style uses hops in a different manner and showcases some of the more modern hop varieties that typically present with stone fruit, tropical fruit & citrus flavours. The pale ale version of this style is still getting its own legs and will continue to grow and develop – it’s already super popular amongst the lovers of NEIPA's and craft beer in general.  

We are seeing lots of Hazy pales coming out at the moment just as we saw a lot of XPA's hitting the market a few years ago. There is another sneaky factor... they photograph incredibly well and are all the rage on beer reviewers Instagram pages and honestly, who can blame them.

What type of customers would you recommend a Hazy Pale to?

BATCH BREWING: This is one that will appeal to the beer lovers more, but it is also a very accessible style for anyone that is looking expand their beer horizons! If your customer likes New England IPA's, pacific ales, tropical hop notes or just hops, then they'll like Hazy Pale Ales!

In your opinion, what’s the perfect time for Hazy Pale Ale?

BATCH BREWING: Any time you would be reaching for a pale ale, you could just as easily substitute it for a Hazy Pale Ale, it will be great with Burgers, BBQ's, nibbles, or on its own.

Cheers to Andrew and Ryan from Batch Brewing Company for schooling us and for not once using the term ‘crazy for hazy’

Lupulin Rivers

A New England style approach to this juicy pale brings a current of juicy pineapple & tangerine. These drift among the tropical fruit and light grassy flavours, floating on a beautifully soft malt base.

HISTORY: “Originally brewed in collaboration with Malt Barrel at Club Rivers, this collab brew took place at our Small Batch brewery in Petersham with several of the Malt Barrel staff in attendance to learn the processes of making the beer that they would later be selling over the bar at their venue.”

WHY CUSTOMERS LOVE IT: “3.9 Untappd score and this one sells out quick every single time we brew it, not just the first time! The hazy style has a lot of followers in the beer community and this one has caught on nicely with them. The Lupulin Rivers beer is a Hazy Pale Ale and as such is derived from the NEIPA style but has been dialled back for a more reserved approach giving the beer a more approachable flavour profile for people new to the style.”

WHAT IS ‘LUPULIN’?: “Lupulin is the yellow gland of a hop plant inside of which hop acids and essential oils can be found. It’s a fine yellow powder that can be separated out from the green leaves of the hop itself, similar to pollen from a flower. This is where the name came from, we wanted there to be reference to where the idea for the beer came from (club rivers) and a tip of the hat to the most important ingredient (hops)!”

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Hazy Pale Ales on Kaddy

Over 550 beverages suppliers use Kaddy to offer their range direct to trade customers. Here is a small sampling of the Hazy Pale Ales available to order now.

Pale Ale

Two Birds

Our Pale is like your favourite pair of jeans - the perfect fit for every occasion. But like every Two Birds brew, this Pale is not without a twist.
Two types of oats create a hazy and super pale beer with a smooth, silky mouthfeel, while Australian and US hops offer up notes of pine, passionfruit and pineapple.

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Double Time Hazy Pale

Deeds Brewing

Our Hazy Pale delivers a fresh, tropical fruit aroma complemented by subtle tones of pine, reminding us that good things come to those who wait.

Our Hazy Pale has been double dry hopped with a blend of Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe, providing a full-on tropical fruit aroma, complemented by a subtle note of pine. With a moderate bitterness backed up by a creamy body of oats and wheat, this is a small batch beer packed full of flavour.

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Endless Haze Hazy Pale Ale

Akasha Brewing Company

Let your tongue hang ten on the cresting flavour wave of this sun-kissed Hazy Pale Ale. Brimming with peach, mango, passionfruit and pineapple notes, it’s a lighter-style, cloudy beer with a full, satisfying finish that’s utterly sessionable… and infinitely enjoyable We’ve taken the popular Pale Ale style and made a juicy splash of it, layering stonefruit and tropical notes into a tasty barrel roll of a beer. With its beautiful full finish and low bitterness, it’s the perfect beer to soak up some rays to.

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Melbourne Fog Hazy Pale

Hop Nation

Melbourne Fog was originally brewed in collaboration with Whitehart Bar in Melbourne’s CBD. After a popular keg-release, it’s now available in cans!

Featuring fruity notes from Nelson Sauvin, Loral and Mosaic hops, it gets its full haze dose thanks to 50% oat malt.

It’s everything you love about a NEIPA with full flavour and body, but at only 4.8% ABV.

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Hazy Pale

Hawker’s Beer

Generously dry-hopped, deliciously hazy, and stunningly approachable. Massive juice characters about from American and New Zealand hops, delivering the best of both worlds between New England style and sessionability.

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‘Lil Hazy Pale Ale

Dad & Dave's Brewing

A ‘lil hazy with big flavour? Packed with creamy oats and buckets of HPA-016, Vic Secret and Galaxy hops. Our ‘lil hazy is packed with tropical flavour with a full mouthfeel just like their bigger counterparts but with greater drinkability.

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Sugar Baby Hazy Pale Ale

Willie the Boatman

A delicious fruity, creamy pale ale that has joined the Haze Craze! A beer that tastes just like ya mum's Christmas Pavlova. It's big on the pallet with lots and lots of Mango and Strawberries. Its creamy, its juicy and its delicious! Get on it!

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Over The Bridge

Sunday Road Brewing

This sessionable and delicious Hazy NEPA is bursting with delicious kiwi hop aroma - that first sip offering flavours of mango and citrus without being too juicy, all with a low bitterness and delicious cloudy moorish mouth feel.

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