Her name is Emma, and she hates IPAs. So why does she review them on TikTok?

Every video starts the same.

"Hi, my name is Emma, and I hate IPAs. Let's review one."

On camera, she pours the beer, takes a sniff of the notoriously hoppy brew, describes the smell, "You know the smell of a litterbox?" then takes a sip. The face Emma makes after that first sip says it all, but she still gives a score.

It's one thing to avoid a beer you hate. But Emma Lewis, from Shoreview, has amassed a following on TikTok trying IPAs from all over the country. All because she hates them.

She's in a mixed relationship because her boyfriend, Colin Meidl, loves them. His step-dad, also an IPA afficionado, encouraged them to start a she-hates-he-loves blog.

Instead, Emma decided to start a TikTok account. Colin, who films the videos, weighs in with his own rating, as well, because no IPA goes to waste when he's around.

We sat down with Emma to try to get inside her twisted psyche and figure out why she's gone as far as vomiting — on camera — for the sake of her anti-IPA beer reviews. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: How did you get into the IPA hating business?
A: It started out as a joke between my partner's stepdad and I. I would review them for his stepdad, because these are just my genuine reactions to these drinks that his stepdad loves. His stepdad said we should start a blog, and I didn't think anybody would read a blog, so we started on TikTok. Randomly, people started following us and all of a sudden, we have 26,000 followers.

Q: Do you even like beer?
A: I actually love beer. I just hate IPAs. People have this theory that I either like IPAs or I hate beer in general. But I love beer. I love lagers. I like blondes, more lighter beers. If it gets too hoppy, I think it's gross.

Q: What was your perception of the beer world, going into this?
A: I grew up with the bias that women didn't like beer, because my mom didn't like beer. My dad would log beers he drank, so I guess the reviewing comes from him, in a sense.

Q: Have you found any other fellow IPA haters?
A: I've had a lot of other people named Emma comment: "My name is Emma and I also hate IPAs." Those are some of my favorite comments.

Q: What's the IHateIPAs hate been like?
A: Being a woman and reviewing beer is upsetting to some people. I don't think beer is supposed to be a serious thing. I think that sets some people off, because I am a woman and I am making fun of something that so many men take seriously.

Q: How have breweries responded to your snarky videos?
A: We continue to go to a lot of breweries, and people have sent us beer. I love supporting small companies. Lady Justice Brewing [in Colorado] was one of the first breweries to reach out and send us beer, before we hit 10K [followers]. I love that they're queer and female-owned. We are going to Fat Pants Brewing [in Eden Prairie] soon. They are so funny on TikTok.

Q: What does the future hold for IHateIpas?
A: My day job is in a mental health clinic, so this is just a fun thing for now. That's my No. 1 passion in life, mental health and sexual assault advocacy work. But with the account, it's going to evolve into some more reviewing. Not only IPAs, because I reviewed something that I liked the other day and people responded well. I don't think I would stop anytime soon because I really enjoy it.

Q: I still don't understand why you drink something you hate.
A: I think it's really fun, even though I genuinely don't enjoy what I'm drinking. I have thrown up multiple times from IPAs. I think it's funny that I could have such a bad reaction to something.

Q: Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by an IPA?
A: Randomly, there have been some IPAs that haven't even been that bad. I liked Nine Mile Brewing in Bloomington's Pride beer, and that was an IPA.