Explore The World Of Ipa Beers And Their Unique Taste

India Pale Ale, or IPA, is a style of beer that is known for its strong, bitter taste and high alcohol content. IPAs were first brewed in the 1780s in Britain and became popular among soldiers and administrators serving in India, which was then under British colonial rule. The beer was brewed with a high concentration of hops, which acted as a preservative and allowed the beer to survive the long journey from Britain to India. Today, IPAs come in a variety of styles, including West Coast, New England, and Imperial/Double IPAs, and continue to be a popular choice among craft beer enthusiasts.

History of IPAs

The India Pale Ale (IPA) is a hoppy beer style within the broader category of pale ale. The history of IPAs can be divided into three phases.

Phase 1: Solving the Spoilage Problem

IPAs were allegedly invented by the British during their colonisation efforts in India. The beer they sent to their troops kept spoiling during the long voyage around the Cape of Africa. Extreme temperatures and prolonged storage without refrigeration were less than ideal for transporting beer. The British hit upon a solution: adding more alcohol and hops, both of which act as preservatives. According to legend, George Hodgson of East London's Bow Brewery created the first IPA—a bitter and highly alcoholic brew that could survive the long ocean trip.

Phase 2: Experimentation with Hops

Breweries began to spring up in more locations, and refrigeration was invented, solving the original problems that IPAs were created to address. Brewers started to experiment enthusiastically with hops, discovering that hops could contribute not just bitterness but also distinctive flavours and aromas like citrus and pine.

Phase 3: Unlocking the Full Potential of Hops

The third and current era of IPAs began when breweries developed techniques that fully unlocked the flavour and aroma potential of hops. This is when the IPA category expanded into red, white, black, Belgian, session, Double, New England style, fruit IPAs, and even India pale lagers.

IPA styles

The IPA, or India Pale Ale, is a beer style that is loaded with hops and hop flavour. The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) currently identifies nine distinct types of India Pale Ale, but there are many more variations on the market. The BJCP's 2015 style guidelines include the following:

• American IPA: A decidedly hoppy and bitter, moderately strong American pale ale, showcasing modern American or New World hop varieties.
• Specialty IPA: A blanket term for any IPA that is not a standard American IPA, including New England IPAs, Double Black Rye IPAs, Belgian IPAs, Black IPAs, Brown IPAs, Red IPAs, White IPAs, and Rye IPAs.
• English IPA: An older-fashioned IPA that is rarely produced in the US. It is maltier than a typical IPA and has fruitier yeast.
• Double IPA: Stronger versions of American IPAs or New England IPAs with an ABV of 7.5-8% or higher.

Other popular IPA styles include:

• New England/Hazy IPA: The most common IPA style, known for its juicy flavour and hazy look. It is less bitter than other IPAs and has flavour notes of pineapple, mango, and other bright, sweet flavours.
• West Coast IPA: More bitter and sharp than New England IPAs, with a piney, resin-like flavour.
• Session IPA: IPAs with lower alcohol content, typically below 5% ABV.
• Sour IPA: A hybrid of IPA styles, fermented using a combination of regular yeast and natural yeast that develops organically, along with souring bacteria.
• Milkshake/Lactose IPA: A double New England-style IPA with lactose added, giving it a richer, thicker, creamier body.
• White IPA: A dry-hopped version of a Belgian witbier, with a hop-forward flavour profile and a smooth, bright citrus finish.
• Brut IPA: A recently created beer style that uses an enzyme to make it extremely dry, with a sharp flavour and creamy mouthfeel.
• Cold IPA: Technically not an IPA, but an India Pale Lager brewed with lager yeasts instead of ale yeasts and at colder temperatures.

IPA characteristics

IPA stands for Indian Pale Ale or India Pale Ale. It is a style of beer that is known for its strong flavour and high alcohol content. The amount of alcohol in an IPA can vary, ranging from 0% ABV to 13% ABV. IPAs are made with more hops than regular beer, which gives them a stronger flavour. This also results in a bitter taste, though not all IPAs are bitter. The bitterness of an IPA can be measured using the IBU (International Bitterness Units) scale, with most IPAs scoring between 40 and 60.

The IPA style of beer originated in Britain during the colonial era. British sailors and soldiers wanted a beer that could withstand the long journey to India and still taste good upon arrival. The hot and humid climate in India made brewing beer there difficult, so a beer that could survive the journey was needed. Brewers added more hops to their recipes, as hops act as a preservative. This resulted in a beer that was heavy on hops, which gave it a longer shelf life.

Over time, the IPA evolved and different varieties emerged. Some of the most common types of IPAs include West Coast IPA, New England IPA, and Imperial/Double IPA. West Coast IPAs are known for their fruity and crisp flavours, with notes of hops and fruit. New England IPAs are hazy in appearance and have intense fruit flavours, while also tasting of hops. Imperial or Double IPAs have a higher concentration of hops, resulting in a stronger flavour and higher alcohol content.

IPAs have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially among craft beer enthusiasts. This is partly due to their rich flavour and the fact that they don't spoil as quickly as other beers. IPAs are also known for their strong aroma, which is amplified by the dry-hopping process, where hops are steeped in fermenting beer.

IPA vs. regular beer

India Pale Ale, or IPA, is a style of beer that originated in Britain during the colonial era. British sailors and troops in India craved beer from back home, but the hot and humid climate in India was not conducive to brewing. Brewers in Britain therefore created a beer recipe that could survive the long journey to India without spoiling. They added extra hops, which act as a preservative, and increased the alcohol content.

IPAs are characterised by their strong hops flavour, and are considered to be bitter. However, not all IPAs are bitter, and they can also explore the world of fruity flavours that can be derived from hops. Common flavours include floral, bitter, earthy, piney, citrusy, and fruity.

There are several styles of IPA, including West Coast, New England, Imperial or Double, Session, British, East Coast, Oat, Lactose, Belgian, Fruited, Sour, and Brett. The West Coast IPA is hoppy, fruity, and crisp, and is known for its high carbonation and big tropical fruit notes. The New England IPA is unfiltered, hazy, and has extremely low bitterness due to the use of blends of hops that lend an intense, fruity flavour. It is often fermented to have lower carbonation and can be identified by its fruity and grassy smell.

A traditional British IPA tends to be very hoppy and one-note, without the burst of fruit found in West Coast or New England IPAs. Double or Imperial IPAs have a higher hop concentration, resulting in a higher ABV (usually over 7%). Session IPAs have less alcohol content, usually below 5% ABV, and appear "thinner" than other types of IPAs.

IPAs are a subcategory of ales, which are brewed with top-fermenting yeast in warm temperatures. This results in a thick layer of foam at the top of the beer. Ales tend to have a more complex, fruitier taste than lagers, and are more comparable to red wines.

IPA alcohol content

India Pale Ale (IPA) is a hoppy beer style within the broader category of pale ale. IPAs were originally export beers shipped to India, which was under the control of the British East India Company until 1858.

Early IPAs were only slightly higher in alcohol content than other beers brewed at the time. However, more of the wort was fermented, resulting in fewer residual sugars, and they were heavily hopped. While IPAs were formulated to survive long voyages by sea, other beer styles, such as porter, were also successfully shipped to India and California.

By the 1860s, India Pale Ales were widely brewed in England, and they were much more attenuated and hopped than porters and ales. Demand for the export style of pale ale, now known as "India Pale Ale", developed in England around 1840, and IPA became a popular product in England.

In modern times, IPAs come in a range of styles and alcohol content. A traditional West Coast IPA is hoppy, fruity, and crisp, and may be bitter. A New England-style IPA is very hazy, with intense fruit flavours and a lower level of carbonation. A session IPA typically has an alcohol content of less than 5% ABV and is perfect for those who want the flavour of an IPA with a lower alcohol content.

A double or imperial IPA is an IPA with a higher hop concentration. To balance the hop flavour, the brewer uses more malt, resulting in a higher alcohol content, usually over 7% ABV. A triple IPA will have an alcohol content of over 10% ABV.

Frequently asked questions