Sat 3rd – Fri 30 September 2022

Our annual IPA Trail returns this year for the first time since 2019, showcasing some of the best Real Ale IPA’s in Nottingham’s Pubs in September. There are 39 pubs on the trail each serving an IPA at 5.5% and above.

Visit any of the pubs listed and buy a half or a pint of qualifying IPA. Collect the stickers and place them on the entry form. You need to visit a minimum of ten different pubs. If you visit any pubs not on the trail but they are selling an IPA at 5.5% or over, then you can enter them in the Lucky Dip box.

Every entrant qualifies for a free pint at the 2022 Nottingham Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival

Entry forms available in the Nottingham Drinker, in pubs from the end of August or download here

Details of the 39 pubs on the IPA Hop can be downloaded here

The story of our IPA Hop trail

With the success of both the Mild Trail and Stout & Porter Stroll in promoting different styles of beer throughout the year, we decided to launch our very first Nottingham CAMRA IPA Trail in 2014. 

Nottingham CAMRA’s first IPA Trail was organised by some of the branch’s Young Members with assistance of other members of the committee in the first year – and with 34 pubs taking part from 23rd to 31st August, it was more successful than we imagined!  It ran for just one week and was so successful that we are putting on the event every year and rebranding it as the IPA Hop for one month. 

There was a minimum restriction of 5.5% ABV as a ‘tip of the hat’ not only to the original style IPAs which had to make the trip across the ocean to India, but to traditional British beers as a whole, which were once upon a time much stronger than the typical session ales we see today.

Unfortunately it wasn’t possible to hold the IPA hop in 2020 or 2021 due to Covid restrictions. However it is now set to return from Saturday 3rd to Friday 30th September 2022.