Black IPA? White IPA? Red IPA? Brett the Hitman Heart IPA?

Enough already. It’s tiresome how IPA has become short form for “beer we’d really really like you to buy.”

With that rant out of the way, I’ll double back and say that I like session IPAs. Here’s why:

• They attempt something difficult: Pack a ton of flavour into a low-alcohol package.
• They’re a beer for all seasons. Hot summer evening? Sure, of course. Sunny afternoon in April or October? Gotcha. Breakfast warm-up before a day of big stouts in January? Absolutely.
• If you’re bothered by the precarious lean they make in favour of hops, fill that gap with food. Personally, I’m picturing a pork sausage pie that’s wrapped in an enriched crust.

What’s that you say? There’s already a name for the style? Well, yes American-style pale ale is a fine descriptor but it’s over-long and especially difficult in this case, because the brewery that makes Lost in Orbit, Nickel Brook, already has their Naughty Neighbour APA.

Lost in Orbit is a fine example of the session IPA. It’s dank with white grapefruit scented hops and a down-low bitterness. There’s a nice tropical note lingering in the background but I’m not sure I get the promised guava. The haziness comes from the Vermont yeast.

Where can you get your hands on one of those fine looking pint glasses? Going to need a time machine for that one, I think. It’s my last intact Cask Days nonic from the days when festivals served adult portions. This is a good time to remind you to grab your Cask Days tickets, though.