The craft beer world has no shortage of styles. And while a casual drinker might not recognize the nuances between them, the hardcore heads definitely know the subtle differences. The West Coast IPA is a crisp, dry, citrusy, pucker-inducing, and unabashedly dank hoppy beer with a touch of caramel malts. It was the style that, in many ways, launched the craft beer industry in the 1980s — the Americanized take on the classic English IPA that launched way back in the late 1700s.