The Birth Of Ipa Beer: A Historical Perspective

India Pale Ale (IPA) is a hoppy beer style within the broader category of pale ale. The popular belief is that IPAs were invented by the British during their colonisation of India. However, this is not entirely true. While India played a role in the creation of IPAs, it was not the country that invented the brew. The real story of the IPA is a complex one, involving a legendary brewer, a long sea journey, and the rise of craft beer.

IPA stands for India Pale Ale

India Pale Ale, or IPA, is a hoppy beer style within the broader category of pale ales. The name "India Pale Ale" was coined in the 19th century, but the beer itself was created in the 18th century.

IPAs were allegedly invented by the British during their colonisation of India. The beer they sent to their troops often spoiled during the long sea voyage around the cape of Africa. The extreme temperatures and prolonged storage without refrigeration were less than ideal for transporting beer.

Brewers had two tools to work with: alcohol and hops, both of which act as preservatives. According to legend, George Hodgson of East London's Bow Brewery created the first IPA. It was bitter and highly alcoholic, but it could withstand the long voyage.

However, this origin story is a simplified version of what really happened. While Hodgson was one of the first to market the beer, the style was slowly developed over time by several breweries. By the 1760s, breweries had learned that adding extra hops helped fortify beers for the voyage to warmer climates. They were adding hops to not just pale ales, but also porters and ales.

The beer being exported wasn't much stronger in alcohol content, contrary to the popular belief that dark beer was hard to import to India, so people added more hops and alcohol to make it less likely to spoil. In fact, England had been exporting dark beers to India for centuries before the IPA was invented, and beer did not need to be strong to survive the journey.

Hodgson's beer was soon imitated by bigger brewers, such as Bass, and with the advent of refrigeration, the original hurdles IPAs were created to overcome were no longer an issue.

IPAs were invented to survive the voyage to India

India Pale Ale (IPA) was created in the 18th century, though it was initially called "Pale Ale prepared for India". The name was shortened to "India Pale Ale" in the 19th century.

The popular origin story of the IPA is that it was invented by the British during their efforts to colonize India. Repeatedly, the beer they sent to their troops spoiled during the long sea voyage around the cape of Africa. The beer was exposed to extreme temperatures and prolonged storage without refrigeration.

To combat this, British brewers turned to two preservatives: alcohol and hops. According to legend, George Hodgson of East London's Bow Brewery created the first IPA. It was bitter and highly alcoholic, but it could survive the voyage to India.

However, this origin story has been disputed. While it is true that English breweries struggled to find a way to get their beer to survive the voyage to India, it is a myth that IPA was invented specifically for this purpose. In reality, English breweries were trying to find ways to get their beer to survive voyages to any warm climate, not just India. Additionally, beer had been successfully exported to India long before the creation of IPA.

George Hodgson was the first to brew and export IPAs

While it is a common myth that George Hodgson invented the IPA, he was indeed among the first brewers to export beer to India. Hodgson was a brewer at the Bow Brewery in East London, and his beer became popular among East India Company traders in the late 18th century. The brewery was located near the East India Docks, and Hodgson offered a liberal credit line of 18 months, making his beer attractive to traders.

Hodgson's beer, including his October beer, benefited from the conditions of the voyage to India and was highly regarded by its consumers there. The beer was packed with extra hops and an increased alcohol content, which helped to preserve it during its long journey from England to India. This created a bitter and stronger pale ale that was more refreshing in the hot Indian climate compared to the dark ales and porters popular in London.

While Hodgson may not have been the first brewer to come up with the concept of adding extra hops and alcohol to preserve the beer, he was the first to achieve a large amount of distribution in India. However, it is important to note that the popular belief that IPA was invented because dark beer was hard to import to India is not true. In fact, England had been exporting and enjoying dark beers in India's hot climate for centuries before IPA was invented.

The East India Company eventually grew tired of Hodgson's business practices and sought new brewing partners in Burton upon Trent. The Allsopp, Bass, and Salt breweries improved upon Hodgson's recipe for hopped pale ale and took over the Indian market. By the early 19th century, "pale ale prepared for the India market" was gaining popularity, and by the 1830s, IPA had become one of England's best-selling beers.

IPAs were originally bitter and strong

IPAs, or India Pale Ales, were originally bitter and strong. The style was allegedly invented by the British during their colonisation of India. The story goes that the beer they sent with their troops spoiled during the long voyage in the hot climate. To prevent this, brewers added more alcohol and hops, which acted as preservatives.

The first IPAs were created by George Hodgson of the Bow Brewery in East London. His beers were popular with East India Company traders as the brewery was located near the East India Docks, and Hodgson offered a generous 18-month credit line. However, despite his reputation, there is no evidence that Hodgson formulated his beer specifically for export to India. In fact, English breweries had been exporting dark beers to India for centuries, and beer did not need to be strong to survive the journey.

Hodgson's original IPAs were characterised by two things: extreme bitterness and heavy, sweet malt bases. This inspired a competition among brewers to create even bitterer beers, which appealed to a specific crowd. Brewers themselves loved IPAs and began experimenting with different types of hops.

Over time, breweries realised that hops could also contribute flavour and aroma to beer, leading to the development of new IPA styles. Today, IPAs are the dominant form of craft beer in America and are gaining popularity worldwide.

IPAs evolved into the modern pale ale

The India Pale Ale (IPA) was created in the 18th century, though it was initially called ""Pale Ale prepared for India". The name was shortened to "India Pale Ale" in the 19th century.

The popular origin story of the IPA is that it was invented by George Hodgson of the Bow Brewery in East London. However, this is a myth. While Hodgson was one of the first to market the beer, the style was developed slowly over time by several breweries.

The IPA was created in response to the challenge of exporting beer to India during the time of England's colonial presence. The beer had to survive a long sea journey from England to India, where the hot climate also presented preservation challenges. Brewers added extra hops and increased the alcohol content to prevent the beer from spoiling.

Over time, IPAs evolved into the modern pale ale. The evolution of IPAs can be divided into three phases. The first phase was characterised by extreme bitterness and heavy, sweet malt bases that balanced the bitterness. This led to a competition among brewers to create even more bitter beers, which appealed to a specific crowd.

The second phase occurred when brewers realised that hops could contribute not only bitterness but also flavour and aroma. They began to experiment enthusiastically with hops, creating beers with distinctive flavours and aromas, such as citrus and pine.

The third and current phase involves the development of techniques that fully unlock the flavour and aroma potential of hops. This has led to the creation of various styles of IPAs, including red, white, black, Belgian, session, Double, New England style, fruit IPAs, and even India pale lagers. These modern IPAs are the result of brewers' continued experimentation and enthusiasm for hops.

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