Comparison
American IPA vs Milkshake IPA
What is the difference between American IPA and Milkshake IPA?
The short answer
The main difference is bitterness: American IPA has far more of it than Milkshake IPA. American IPA also leads on resin & pine and malt intensity; Milkshake IPA on sweetness.
Generated from the two style records. No editor has written this comparison up, so it carries no verdict beyond what the data supports.
Where they overlap
They share comparable hop aroma, tropical fruit, stone fruit, overlapping strength ranges, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| American IPA | Milkshake IPA | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | IPA | IPA |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United States | United States |
| Category status — One of these is a more settled category than the other, which is worth knowing before treating the comparison as exact. | Established | Commercial category |
| Strength | 5.5–7.5% ABV | 5.5–8% ABV |
| Bitterness (IBU) — IBU measures iso-alpha acids in the lab. It does not track perceived bitterness, which residual sweetness, body and roast all alter — compare the sensory rows below for how each actually tastes. | 40–70 IBU | 20–40 IBU |
| Colour | Gold to light amber — 6–14 SRM, 12–28 EBC | Pale gold to orange — 4–10 SRM, 8–20 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.056–1.070 | 1.060–1.080 |
| Final gravity | 1.008–1.014 | 1.016–1.026 |
| Serving temperature | 7–10°C | 7–10°C |
| Carbonation | 2–3 vol CO₂ | 2–3 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Tulip glass, Teku glass, Nonic pint | Teku glass, Tulip glass |
| Clarity | clear | opaque |
How they taste different
| Character | American IPA | Milkshake IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Bitterness | High–Very high | Trace |
| Resin & pine | Moderate–High | Not characteristic |
| Sweetness | Trace–Low | High |
| Malt intensity | Low | Not characteristic |
| Dryness | Moderate–High | None–Trace |
| Alcohol warmth | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Yeast fruitiness (esters) | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Bread & biscuit | Low | Not characteristic |
| Body | Low–Moderate | High |
| Floral | Low | Not characteristic |
Which should you choose?
- You want more bitterness → American IPA
- You want more sweetness → Milkshake IPA
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.