Double IPA / Imperial IPA Explained

Double IPA (also called Imperial IPA) takes the core IPA concept and intensifies nearly every dimension — more malt, more hops, more alcohol — resulting in a genuinely bigger, bolder beer.

What Makes It "Double" or "Imperial"

Double/Imperial IPA generally runs notably higher in alcohol (often 8-10%+ ABV, compared to standard IPA's typical 6-7.5%) and uses considerably more hops and malt than standard IPA, producing a more intense, concentrated version of the style's core bitter, aromatic character rather than a fundamentally different flavor direction.

The Vinnie Cilurzo / Blind Pig Origin Story

The Double IPA style is widely credited to brewer Vinnie Cilurzo, who created what's considered the first commercially significant example at Blind Pig Brewing in the early 1990s, reportedly as a practical solution to a specific brewing problem: using extra hops to mask off-flavors in a beer that had aged longer than intended, discovering the resulting bigger, hoppier beer was genuinely well-received. Cilurzo later became more widely known for Pliny the Elder at Russian River Brewing, one of the most celebrated Double IPAs ever made.

Balancing Intensity

Because Double IPA pushes both alcohol and hop bitterness higher than standard IPA, well-made examples require careful malt backbone to prevent the beer from becoming simply harsh or unbalanced — the skill in brewing a great Double IPA lies specifically in keeping all these intensified elements in proportion to each other.

Triple IPA and Beyond

Some brewers have pushed the concept even further with "Triple IPA" releases, running even higher in alcohol and hop intensity — though these more extreme versions are less common and more of a novelty/limited-release category than a mainstream, widely available style.

Who Should Try Double IPA

If you enjoy standard IPA's hop-forward character and want a bigger, more intense, higher-alcohol version of that same basic flavor direction, Double IPA is a natural next step — though its higher alcohol content genuinely warrants more careful pacing than a standard-strength beer.

Why This Style Matters to Craft Beer History

Double IPA's origin story — a genuinely accidental discovery turned into one of craft beer's most celebrated and imitated styles — is a good example of how much of craft brewing's stylistic evolution has come from experimentation and happy accidents rather than purely deliberate, top-down recipe design.