Milkshake IPAs: Beyond the Buzz of a Sweet Sensation

Step aside, NEIPAs, there’s another smoothie-like beer in town. Milkshake IPAs, often shortened to MIPAs, have been swirling around the craft beer scene for a few years now, bringing with them bold fruit flavours, creamy textures, plenty of sweetness and more than a little controversy.

Supporters see them as a playful and indulgent development of the modern IPA, while critics argue that they are too sweet, too gimmicky and too far removed from what an India Pale Ale should be. As with most unusual beer styles, the truth probably sits somewhere in the middle.

So, are Milkshake IPAs just a sugary fad, or are they a genuinely interesting innovation that deserves a permanent place within the wider IPA family? Let’s take a closer look at what makes these beers different, how they are produced, and why they can be so difficult to get right.

What is a Milkshake IPA?

Like many developments in modern brewing, a Milkshake IPA is most definitely a departure from tradition. It takes the soft, hazy and fruit-forward character of a New England IPA and pushes it in a sweeter, richer and more dessert-like direction.

The key ingredient is usually lactose, a type of sugar found naturally in milk. Standard brewing yeast cannot normally ferment lactose, so instead of being converted into alcohol, it remains in the finished beer. This adds sweetness, body and a smoother mouthfeel.

That does not mean a Milkshake IPA contains actual milk or should taste exactly like a blended milkshake. The name refers more to the combination of sweetness, fruit and creamy texture. When the style works, it can create the impression of a fruit smoothie, tropical dessert or creamy fruit drink, while still retaining the aromatic hops and bitterness expected from an IPA.

The hops commonly lean towards juicy, tropical and citrus flavours. Mango, pineapple, peach, orange, passion fruit, lime and grapefruit are all common characteristics. Some brewers also add real fruit, fruit purée, vanilla or other flavourings to make the milkshake comparison even more obvious.

Think mango and pineapple with a hoppy edge, strawberry and vanilla with a gentle bitterness, or perhaps something resembling a piña colada with an IPA bite.

How is a Milkshake IPA brewed?

There is no single recipe that every brewer follows, but several ingredients are commonly used to create the recognisable Milkshake IPA character.

• Lactose: This is the defining ingredient in many examples of the style. Because brewing yeast does not normally ferment it, lactose remains in the finished beer and provides sweetness, extra body and a softer texture.
• Fruity hops: Varieties such as Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, El Dorado and Sabro can contribute citrus, stone fruit, mango, pineapple, coconut and other tropical flavours.
• Oats and wheat: These help create a fuller body, a hazy appearance and the soft, almost velvety mouthfeel associated with modern hazy IPAs.
• Fruit additions: Brewers may use fruit purée, juice, zest or natural flavourings. These additions can make the beer taste brighter and more obviously dessert-like.
• Vanilla: Vanilla is sometimes used to strengthen the impression of creaminess, even though it does not directly make the beer thicker.
• Yeast: Fruity yeast strains can produce esters that reinforce flavours such as peach, apricot, pear and tropical fruit.

The challenge is getting all these elements to work together. Too little lactose and the beer can feel like an ordinary hazy IPA with fruit added. Too much lactose and it can become sticky, cloying and tiring to drink. Fruit can overwhelm the hops, while excessive bitterness can clash badly with the creamy sweetness.

A good Milkshake IPA should still have balance. It needs enough hop bitterness to stop the beer becoming syrupy, but not so much that the sweetness and bitterness seem to fight each other. The fruit, malt, lactose and hops should feel like parts of the same beer rather than separate flavours competing for attention.

Why do Milkshake IPAs divide drinkers?

The rise of the Milkshake IPA has sparked plenty of debate. Some drinkers praise the style for being imaginative, accessible and completely different from traditional IPAs. The combination of fruit and sweetness can appeal to people who normally find heavily hopped beers too bitter.

Others see Milkshake IPAs as another example of craft beer becoming more focused on novelty than drinkability. To those drinkers, an IPA should be crisp, bitter and hop-led rather than thick, sweet and reminiscent of a dessert.

There is also a strange mental hurdle when drinking one. A Milkshake IPA may look like a glass of hazy orange juice, yet feel surprisingly thick and creamy in the mouth. That combination of appearance and texture can seem slightly wrong at first.

We tend to form expectations before we even taste a drink. A pale, golden beer is expected to feel refreshing and relatively light. When it instead arrives with a dense body and lingering sweetness, the brain can take a moment to catch up. For some drinkers, that contrast is part of the fun. For others, it is enough to put them off the style completely.

Milkshake IPAs in the UK

Plenty of UK breweries have experimented with Milkshake IPAs, and the style has occasionally made its way beyond independent bottle shops and into major supermarkets.

BrewDog, for example, produced King Crush, an 8.4% ABV Double Milkshake IPA that was widely available in supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s. It sounded like it should have been a rich, extravagant and indulgent beer, but for me it never delivered what the name, strength and style promised.

At 8.4% ABV, I expected something full-bodied, creamy and packed with sweet fruit. Instead, it seemed to fall short of the experience a Double Milkshake IPA should offer. It had the strength, but not enough of the indulgence. King Crush has since disappeared from the regular supermarket ranges, and I cannot say that I particularly miss it.

BAD Co also produced 05 18 Off-Tempo Milkshake IPA, which appeared in Asda. I thought that was a better example, although it too is no longer in production.

For me, several of the British supermarket examples have missed the mark because they have not pushed the lactose, sweetness and texture far enough. If a brewery is going to call something a Milkshake IPA, I want it to fully embrace the idea. It should be smooth, rich and clearly different from a standard hazy IPA.

That does not mean pouring in so much lactose that the beer becomes undrinkably sweet. It means creating enough body and softness to justify the name. Without that creamy texture, the beer can feel like a confused fruit IPA rather than a true Milkshake IPA.

The disappearance of those beers does not necessarily mean British drinkers have rejected the style. The market is still open for another brewery to have a proper attempt, particularly if it can create something distinctive without becoming sickly.

Are Milkshake IPAs suitable for everyone?

Because lactose is derived from milk, most Milkshake IPAs are not vegan and may not be suitable for anyone with a milk allergy or lactose intolerance. Brewers should make this clear on the can or bottle, but it is always worth checking the ingredients before buying.

Milkshake IPAs can also be stronger than they taste. The sweetness and fruit can hide the alcohol surprisingly well, particularly in Double Milkshake IPAs that may reach 8% ABV or more. A thick, fruity beer can seem harmless, but some examples are definitely designed for slow drinking rather than quick refreshment.

The verdict

Milkshake IPAs are undoubtedly a bold, playful and slightly ridiculous addition to the IPA family. They challenge traditional ideas about what an IPA should look, taste and feel like, and they are not going to appeal to everyone.

When poorly made, they can be thin, confused, overly artificial or unpleasantly sweet. When they are done properly, however, they can provide a genuinely unusual drinking experience, combining tropical hops, fruit, sweetness and a luxuriously smooth mouthfeel.

The biggest problem may be that too many breweries have used the Milkshake IPA name without fully committing to the style. If the promised creaminess and indulgence are missing, drinkers are left with something that feels like a slightly sweeter NEIPA.

I still think there is space in the UK market for somebody to get it right. Give us the fruit, give us the hops, and most importantly, give us that rich lactose sweetness and super-smooth texture that makes the style live up to its name.

The next time you see a Milkshake IPA, approach it with an open mind. It might seem strange, and the mouthfeel may not match what your eyes are expecting, but that is part of the experience. At its best, it is creamy, fruity, hoppy and wonderfully indulgent. At its worst, well... at least it gives beer drinkers something to argue about.