It would seem the current reigning beer style with craft beer enthusiasts around the world is the IPA. Brewers are using countless experimental hop varieties to push the envelope on aromatics and bitterness, but where did this all start? What exactly is an IPA?
What Does IPA Stand For?
IPA stands for India Pale Ale. It was a pale ale brewed with more hops than usual to help preserve it on it’s trip from England to India during the 18th and 19th century.
Boats that intended on bringing back spices, and other goods from India, needed to travel with some form of ballast at the bottom of their ship so they packed them with barrels of beer.
This both helped the boats balance, and quenched the thirst of westerners abroad. Before refrigeration, heavily hopping a beer was a way to preserve it from spoilage and contamination on the long trip.
What Are Hops?
Hops are the flowers or cones from the hop plant Humulus Lupulus. This plant grows in vine form and has been used as a preservative and beer stabilizer for almost 1400 years. Hops impart floral, citrus, piney, and fruity aromas to beer.
Up until this past 50 years, only 4 European varieties of hops were used in brewing around the world. They impart a bitter, grassy note on beer.
The 4 Original “Noble Hops”
- German Hallertau
- German Spalt
- German Tettnang
- Czech Saaz
As beer traveled to the 4 corners of the planet, new varieties of hops were cultivated. These “New World Hops” impart fruity, piney, and citrus notes.
History Of The IPA
The origin of the IPA takes us to the rough parts of East London at the turn of the 18th and 19th century. The docks were growing rapidly with trade coming in, and going out, around the world.
“Porter ales” were most popular amongst “porters” and dock hands, and had been the original beer for the voyage to India.
George Hodgson is credited with brewing and packing the first heavily hopped pale ale onto ships to India from the East End, eventually surpassing the porter’s foreign popularity. He named them “East India Pale Ales” until a tiff with the famous East India Company.
In 1822 the East India Company decided to brew it’s own version in the town of Burton-upon-Trent to the north. It turns out that properties in the water from the minerals and salts in the sedimentary rock were perfect for the IPA and a superior version was perfected.
Magnesium and calcium sulfate created “hard water” that helped the hops to bind and encouraged yeast growth. These properties would transform Burton-upon-Trent into Britain’s brewing capitol. Both East India’s Allsopp and Bass would create pale ales and IPA’s that would change the world.
Bass’s Red Triangle logo became the first global brand, recognized everywhere in the British Empire.
IPA’s gained popularity after 1850 when Britain ended it’s heavy tax on glass, and clear vessels became more popular to drink from.
A golden color ale in a clear glass was more enticing (and safe) than a dark beer in pewter cup. Many toxic, odd, and inebriating things were added to Porters..
The novelty of the IPA wouldn’t last long. The invention of refrigeration and the birth of the Pilsner would see the IPA take a backseat until it’s revival in North America in the late 1970’s.
With refrigeration, breweries in India could now produce fresh Pilsner for thirsty workers.
The opening of the Suez canal in 1869 cut the travel time from England to India down immensely, meaning less need for heavy hop additions as preservatives.
IPA’s In America
America’s craft beer boom started in the late 1970’s when laws were changed and home brewing became permitted. Brewer’s didn’t want to import hops from Europe due to cost and travel time.
Cultivation of indigenous hops in the Pacific Northwest began and the new fruity, piney, and citrusy varieties were used to make the first “truly American beer style,” the American Pale Ale.
Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing, utilized the newly introduced “Cascade” hops in their now famous pale ale in 1980.
Alice Waters (mother of California cuisine) added the pale ale to the menu at her famous restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkley and the hoppy beer revolution began.
What Is The Difference Between An American Pale Ale And A Modern IPA?
An American Pale Ale (APA) has less alcohol and less bitterness than an IPA.
APA’s are 4.5%-6.2% ABV (Alcohol by Volume) and have a bitterness of 30-50 IBU (International Bitterness Unit)
An IPA is 5.5%-7.5% ABV and has a bitterness of 40-70 IBU.
An Imperial Pale Ale or “Double IPA” is 7.5%-10% ABV with 65-100 IBU!
Hops and hoppy beers spread down the west coast and then made their way across the country to the East coast.
Popular Hops That Changed The Craft Beer Scene Are:
- Chinook
- Cascade
- Centennial
- Columbus
- Simcoe
What Is An Imperial Pale Ale?
An Imperial Pale Ale is a “Double IPA.” Imperial is a term that was used in England to represent a strong beer brewed for Catherine the Great and the Russian Imperial Court. It was first used for Imperial Russian Stouts and Porters traveling the Baltic.
“Imperial” is now added to any beer style that’s brewed stronger than usual. Imperial Pale Ales, Imperial Brown Ales, Imperial Red Ales, are all examples of this.
Who Brewed The First Imperial Pale Ale?
The first Imperial Pale Ale or “Double IPA” was brewed by Vinnie Cilurzo, the owner and brewmaster of Russian River Brewing Co., in 1994 while he was brewing at “The Blind Pig” in Temecula, California.
Russian River Brewing’s “Pliny the Elder” is the most famous DIPA on the planet and was followed up by the first “Triple IPA”, “Pliny The Younger,” which draws day-long lines for it’s few days on tap each year.
Today there are many established styles of IPA.
Popular IPA Styles:
- New England IPA’s (Hazy/Unfiltered)
- Belgian IPA’s
- Rye IPA’s
- Red IPA’s
- Black IPA’s
- White IPA’s
- Session IPA’s (Low Alcohol)
- Milkshake IPA’s
What Food Pairs With IPA’s?
The current, classic pairing for both Pale Ales and IPA’s, is an American burger. The rich layers of ingredients, fat, and possibility for spice, make a bitter beer a great choice.
As you step up to an Imperial IPA look to burgers with blue cheese, or super sweet and rich desserts like carrot cake.
Carrot cake’s cream cheese frosting compliments the high bitterness of the Double IPA to make a “bitter-sweet” combination.
Hoppy beer is a great match for BBQ. IPA’s are wonderful for cutting the fat of pulled pork, which also has a touch of sweetness to create “bitter-sweet” with your beer.
If you are enjoying a heavy cut of brisket, step up to an Imperial IPA to match the weight, and to bring some malt backbone into the game.
The explosive popularity of IPA’s and the growing number of styles available, mean there’s no shortage of room for exploration. I highly recommend checking the date code to ensure that they are fresh before purchase, or try to enjoy them on tap at your favorite gastropub.
The newer, more fruity experimental hops do not age as gracefully as the old school European noble hops do.
The beer doesn’t spoil because the hops are working as a preservative, but the complex aromas of the hops start to “fall off,” or show not so appetizing aromas. Aim to enjoy highly aromatic hops like Mosaic, Simcoe, Nelson, or Citra within a few weeks or at most two months.
Enjoy the IPA adventure and discover your favorite IPA style, hop, or hop combination. If you find them to be too bitter, start in the classic pale ale realm, acclimatize to the bitterness, and step it up from there later down the road.
Cheers!
