So, WTF is a Hop Saturated Ale?

If you've spent any time keeping track of trends in the beer world as of late, you have likely heard of the new-fangled style coming out of the east coast that seems to be here to stay -- Hop Saturated Ales, aka "Hoppy Ales". The same region that gave us New England style IPAs is doubling down and punching up the murky beers that the world has come to love so much.

If you're like me, the origins behind this new style may be just as murky as the beer. Let's see if we can't shed a little light on it!

What is it in the simplest of terms?

Have you ever been scrolling on Instagram and come across a particularly saturated, bright photo of a very pale, milky looking substance that the poster reveals is actually a beer? If so, you have likely crossed paths with a hop saturated ale. Very simply, this is an IPA, typically 7-10% ABV, made with pilsner malt to keep the color light, and a whole bunch of white wheat and oats to give it a smooth pillowy texture along with that milky look. They are usually jam packed with hops as well, but mostly in aroma and fruity character -- the bitterness is low on this.

Who started it?

It seems like the general consensus as to who created the style, or at the very least coined the term "Hop Saturated Ale" or "Hoppy Ale", is that it was Troon Brewing in Hopewell, New Jersey. They certainly have made quite a reputation for themselves brewing this style, and folks look up to them as pioneers of popularization.

Another brewery you may be familiar with has put a heavy emphasis on making great hoppy ales - RAR Brewing in Cambridge, Maryland. They are the ones that were making all of those crazy smoothie sours with the slush puppy character on the can - yeah, those guys. They have been pumping out hop saturated ales, and doing it really well.

Other, maybe lesser known small breweries looking to capitalize on this trend have risen to the top, including Deep Fried Beers, Threat Beer, Obercreek Brewing, and Willow Park Brewing. Our neighbors to the north are getting in on the fun as well - Bad Bones Beer and Messorem Bracitorium out of Canada have exploded in popularity in 2025.

What are the official style guidelines?

That is what makes this style so ambiguous - there isn't one (yet).

In August we made a collaboration beer with Haggard Barrel Brewing in Saint Louis Park, MN. When I pitched it to head brewer and owner Karl Eicher, he was immediately willing to give it a shot. But early on, we ran into a speed bump - What actually makes it a hop saturated ale?

Well, after some research perusing brewing threads on Reddit, reading some homebrew forums, and gleaning what I could from social media posts of breweries making these beers, there seemed to be one common theme: 10lbs of dry hops per barrel. For those not aware, that is a lot. Typically, by 4lbs per barrel, the costs start to heavily outweigh the small amount of aroma and character you get.

So that's it. Load up your favorite IPA recipe with oats and white wheat, dry hop the bejeezus out of it, and you're off to the races!

What is it like to brew one?

Knowing this was basically going to be a kicked up hazy IPA, I knew Karl was the best man to bring hop saturated ale to Minnesota! His extensive experience brewing murky beer for Blackstack Brewing in St. Paul, MN would really come in handy.

Once we established the loose guidelines, he ran with the recipe design, and we nailed down a name - Recruitment Efforts.

Photo Courtesy of Ryan Unterberger, @theclichedbeerguy on Instagram

On brew day, it didn't look much different than a hazy IPA brew. The main difference was the large amount of grain to mash in, due to the higher alcohol content we were shooting for, and the large amount of white wheat and oats to add body.

Where things really got wild was the dry hopping - all 10 pounds of 'em.

Pulling samples off of the tank was tough with the hop matter all piling up on the bottom of the fermenter, and what we could get was almost Shrek green - but boy oh boy was it tasting good! Straight up citrus zest and orange juice - exactly what we were looking for!

After some time passed it settled, and went into cans without issue. There was a slightly lower yield from all the hop matter, but that was to be expected. Ultimately, I would say we nailed it, especially for a first go at it. Karl took the challenge head on, and put out an awesome beer that we think would make even Troon blush!

Photo Courtesy of Ryan Unterberger, @theclichedbeerguy on Instagram

Time to get used to them...

While hoppy ales and hop saturated ales are a newer trend, they seem to be picking up a lot of steam, and growing steadily, almost replacing regular double and triple IPAs in the market. While they started on the East coast, some West coast breweries have been giving it a shot as well, and we will continue to see the trend spreading. This should be welcome news for hazy IPA lovers - your favorite style but with more aroma and hoppiness.

Keep an eye out for these beers, and give one a try. You may be pleasantly surprised! At least now you know a bit more about WTF it is!

Feature photo courtesy of Ryan Unterberger, @theclichedbeerguy on Instagram