Ghost Train Gulf Coast IPA — Light Enough for a Beach Day, Good Enough for Any Day

The Review

Ghost Train invented their own style with the Gulf Coast IPA, and they’re upfront about it: this is a light-bodied, lightly hopped, easy-drinking IPA meant to be enjoyed on the beach, on the boat, by the pool, or on a warm day — and they see no reason to apologize for any of that.

It pours a hazy pale gold with a white head and a nose that opens with citrus fruit and a tropical undercurrent. The palate is exactly as described: light, well-balanced, dank fruit presence that doesn’t overstay its welcome, and a clean, refreshing finish. BeerAdvocate reviewers have called it “nicely balanced and easy to drink” — which in this case is absolutely the goal and not a backhanded compliment.

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The Gulf Coast IPA proves that Ghost Train can do restrained just as well as they can do bold. In a Birmingham summer that starts in March and runs through October, restrained-and-delicious is a legitimate achievement. It outsells beers with twice the complexity because sometimes that’s exactly what the moment calls for.

Find it at True Story in Crestwood, at the taproom on 3rd Avenue, or at a handful of local bottle shops. Drink it fast — it’s not designed to be pondered.

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