The Ultimate Premium Ipas: A Beer Connoisseur's Guide

India Pale Ale, or IPA, is a hoppy beer style within the broader category of pale ale. The name comes from the beer's origins as an export beer shipped to India, which was under the control of the British East India Company until 1858. While IPAs can be bitter due to their high hops content, they can also be fruity and are not always high in alcohol. Double or Imperial IPAs, however, have a higher alcohol content, typically above 7%.

What is an IPA?

India Pale Ale, or IPA, is a style of beer that is widely popular today, but its history dates back to the 1700s or 1800s. The name comes from the beer's association with British sailors and soldiers who were travelling to or stationed in India during colonial times.

The beer was first brewed in the UK, and the story goes that it was designed to withstand the long journey to India, which could take up to six months by sea. The high level of hops in the beer acted as a natural preservative, giving it a longer life and enhancing its flavour. The beer also had a higher alcohol content, which further preserved it. The journey actually improved the beer's taste, and it became popular in both Britain and India.

IPAs are known for their strong, hoppy flavour, with citrus and fruit notes. They tend to have a higher ABV than most other beers, ranging from 4-5% for session IPAs to 7-10% for regular IPAs. There are also double and triple IPAs, which have even higher alcohol content and a stronger, hoppier flavour.

The popularity of IPAs waned after the First World War, but they experienced a renaissance in the 1970s with the craft beer movement in the USA. Today, there is a huge variety of IPAs available, and they are known for their diverse and unique flavours.

What are the different types of IPAs?

India Pale Ale, or IPA, is a category of brews that has sparked interest and innovation in the craft beer movement. The term "India Pale Ale" encompasses a broad range of versions, each with slight differences. While the exact flavour profile of an IPA can be challenging to pinpoint due to the many variations available, there are some distinct types of IPAs recognised by beer enthusiasts and trade bodies. Here is a guide to help you navigate the diverse world of IPAs:

British or English IPA

The original style of IPA, British IPAs are hoppy golden ales that traditionally use exclusively British hops like Fuggles and Goldings, imparting a grassy, earthy, and light citrus character. They typically have a very dry finish with an ABV between 6% and 7%. English IPAs are less common in America due to their use of British yeast and hops.

West Coast IPA

Originating in California, West Coast IPAs take inspiration from British IPAs but use American "C" hops such as Cascade, Citra, and Chinook. This combination gives West Coast IPAs a piney aroma with citrus and earthy notes. They tend to be less dry due to the use of crystal malt but are significantly more bitter than British IPAs.

East Coast IPA

East Coast IPAs are a relatively new style that builds upon the West Coast variety. The key difference lies in the use of yeast. While California brewers favour clean, almost flavourless yeasts, East Coast brewers opt for mutated, complex British yeasts. These yeasts produce a range of flavours and aromas, including stone fruit, banana, and tropical notes. East Coast IPAs are less bitter, cloudier, and have a softer, pillow-like texture.

Double or Imperial IPA

Also known as Imperial IPAs, these beers were created in response to drinkers' demands for more hops. Brewers achieved balance by adding more malt, resulting in a higher alcohol content. Double IPAs have a strong hop flavour profile with floral, piney, and citrus notes. They typically have a minimum ABV of 7.5% and can reach upwards of 12% ABV.

Session IPA

Session IPAs are crafted for casual drinkers who want to enjoy multiple beers in one sitting. They are lighter in body compared to traditional IPAs but still offer a robust hoppy aroma. The bitterness is more balanced, and the ABV typically stays below 5%.

Black IPA

Black IPAs, also known as Cascadian Dark Ales, defy the "pale" in their name. They aim to combine the appearance of a stout with the hoppy aroma of a typical IPA. The darker malts contribute roasted flavours that interplay with the floral, citrus, and piney notes of the hops. When done well, Black IPAs offer a unique and delightful drinking experience.

Belgian IPA

Belgian IPAs are characterised by the use of Belgian yeast, which imparts clove and spicy notes commonly found in Hefeweizens and Belgian Tripels. They tend to be lighter in colour and have a more complex flavour profile with higher alcohol content than a typical IPA.

Fruit or Grapefruit IPA

Fruit IPAs, particularly those featuring grapefruit, have gained so much popularity that they deserve their own category. The addition of grapefruit enhances the aroma and flavour while also lending acidity, resulting in a clean, bitter, and fruity beer.

New England or Hazy IPA

The New England IPA, often referred to as "hazy," is one of the most common styles found in breweries, restaurants, and stores. This style is known for its juicy character and lower bitterness compared to other IPAs. Flavour notes often include pineapple, mango, and other bright, sweet flavours. The ABV typically falls between 6% and 7.5%.

How is an IPA made?

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

The pale ales of the early 18th century were lightly hopped and quite different from today's pale ales. By the mid-18th century, however, improvements in malting techniques allowed for the production of paler beers. One such variety was October beer, a well-hopped brew that was popular among the landed gentry and was intended to be cellared for two years.

Among the first brewers known to export beer to India was George Hodgson's Bow Brewery. Its beers became popular among East India Company traders in the late 18th century due to its proximity to the East India Docks and its liberal credit line of 18 months. The beer benefited from the conditions of the voyage and was highly regarded by its consumers in India.

Other Burton breweries, including Bass, Alsop, and Salt, emulated Bow Brewery's success and began exporting to India as well. They took advantage of the Burton water profile, which has extremely high concentrations of calcium carbonate and bicarbonate, accentuating the hoppy profile of the beer.

Early IPAs were only slightly higher in alcohol than other beers brewed at the time, but more of the wort was fermented, resulting in fewer residual sugars. They were also heavily hopped, which helped them survive long voyages by sea.

In terms of ingredients, IPAs are traditionally brewed with English malt, hops, and yeast. The American version has a slightly more pronounced malt flavour and uses American ingredients. The original gravity is typically between 1.050 and 1.075, and highly attenuating yeasts are used to achieve a final gravity between 1.010 and 1.018 for an alcohol content of 5-7.5% by volume.

Multiple hop additions are crucial to the flavour profile of an IPA. English IPAs typically have 40-60 IBUs (International Bitterness Units), while stronger imperial IPA versions can have hop rates as high as 120 IBUs. Traditional English hops such as Fuggles, Goldings, Northdown, and Target are commonly used, although sometimes noble hops are also used for finishing.

The colour of an IPA is similar to many pale ales, ranging from golden to deep copper (8-14 SRM for the finished beer). Moderate to light carbonation is often used.

The selection of hops is critical to the success of an IPA. Multiple hop additions are almost always used, including bittering hops at the beginning of the boil, finishing hops in the last 5-15 minutes of the boil, and dry hops to enhance the hoppy aroma.

The grain bill for an IPA is typically composed of traditional English 2-row pale malt, making up around 85-90% of the total. Crystal and caramel malts are used to add colour and body, while chocolate and black malts are less commonly used. Small quantities of wheat, flaked barley, or carapils malt may also be added to enhance the body.

IPAs are usually fermented and stored at traditional ale temperatures, around the mid-60s Fahrenheit. Long storage periods may be required to achieve the proper hop-malt balance.

What are the best IPAs?

The best IPAs depend on your taste preferences and how much alcohol you want in your drink. IPAs are known for their bitter taste, which comes from their high hops content. However, not all IPAs are bitter, and some have a fruity or malty taste.

If you like the traditional bitter taste of an IPA, a West Coast IPA is a good choice. This style is hoppy, fruity, and crisp, with a clean, crisp body, higher carbonation, and big tropical fruit notes. Early classics in this style were brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Stone Brewing Company.

If you prefer less bitterness, you might like a New England IPA, which is unfiltered, giving it a hazy appearance, and has extremely low bitterness. These IPAs are often dry-hopped and have lower carbonation. They tend to taste like fresh fruit cobbler and smell like fruit salad. Some breweries that make this style are Hill Farmstead Brewery, Civil Society Brewing Company, and Trillium Brewing Co.

If you want an IPA with lower alcohol content, you can try a session IPA, which usually has less than 5% ABV. These beers are thinner and easier to drink, so you can have more than one without feeling too tipsy.

For a stronger IPA, try a double or imperial IPA, which has a higher hop concentration and more malt, resulting in a higher ABV (usually over 7%). These IPAs will get you drunk faster, so consume them with caution.

Some other popular IPAs include:

• Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale
• Tampa Bay Brewing Company Cloudy Donkey
• Belgium Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA
• Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
• Alchemist Heady Topper
• Baja Brewing Mexican IPA Por Favor
• Founders All Day IPA
• Bell's Two Hearted Ale
• Lawson's Finest Liquids Sip of Sunshine IPA

What is the history of IPAs?

The history of IPAs, or India Pale Ales, can be traced back to the British efforts to colonize India. The beer they sent to their troops kept spoiling during the long voyage around the Cape of Africa. The extreme temperatures, prolonged storage, and lack of refrigeration took their toll on the beer. As a result, the British focused on two preservatives: alcohol and hops.

According to legend, the first IPA was created by George Hodgson of East London's Bow Brewery. This new brew was bitter and highly alcoholic, but it could survive the long journey to India. However, it is important to note that while George Hodgson may have been the first brewer to achieve widespread distribution in India, he was not the first to come up with the concept of adding extra hops to preserve beer during long voyages.

The popularity of IPAs grew, and by the early 19th century, "pale ale prepared for the India market" was in high demand, with exports and hopping levels increasing. The phrase "India Pale Ale" was first mentioned in 1835 in the Liverpool Mercury newspaper. IPAs became one of England's best-selling beers in the 1830s and remained popular until the early 20th century when new styles entered the market and taxes on higher-gravity beers increased.

The revival of IPAs came about during the craft beer revolution in America in the 1970s and 1980s. American brewers revived the original English recipes while incorporating new styles of hops. This led to the creation of American IPAs, which sparked creativity among brewers, resulting in the various styles of IPAs available today.

Frequently asked questions