Indian pale ale (IPA) is a top-fermented pale malt beer with a characteristic bitterness due to the increased concentration of hops. This style belongs to the broader category of pale ales, and appeared in the early XNUMXth century during the time of the East India Company, after the Essex brewery Bow Brewery began to export its products to the East Indies. Over time, India Pale Ale has also become popular in Canada and the United States.
History
The term “Pale Ale” originally referred to a beer brewed from pale malt. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, these drinks had a slight hop bitterness and differed significantly from the modern version. Over time, the beer became stronger and stronger, and the hop content in it became higher and higher.
However, it was not yet an IPA beer – just an October seasonal high-strength variety. It became an Indian ale in the XNUMXth century, when Allsopp developed a special brand based on Bow Brewery recipes for export to India. At the same time, Tsarist Russia banned the import of beer, as a result, English brewers had to look for new markets, and India became an ideal option. Allsopp’s example was soon followed by Bass and Salt breweries. This is how the real Indian Pale Ale was born, in which the high content of hops was a preservative, facilitating short distance transportation and storage.
There is also a more romantic version of the origin of the IPA. When Britain became the metropolis “on which the sun never sets,” its faithful sons, thousands of miles from their homeland, longed for the familiar beer. In colonial India, this drink was not brewed at all, so it was there that they needed it the most.
By 1840, the term was finally established, and the product itself gained popularity both in England and abroad. By the end of the XNUMXth century, the IPA style had spread to the US, Australia, and Canada, and many British breweries dropped the word “Indian” from their names, leaving just “Pale Ale”. But it is important not to confuse this product with its predecessor of the XVII-XVII centuries, which was discussed above.
There is a myth that IPA has become the only beer style that can withstand long sea voyages. This is not so: a high concentration of hops, of course, allowed the drink to stay fresh longer and insured merchants from losses, but porters and even low-alcohol varieties calmly reached India in the same way. It was just that this beer was to the taste of the participants of the East India Company, besides, sweetish brands did not go well with the local climate.
In the XNUMXth century, the slow but sure decline of the India Pale Ale style began. Many factors contributed to this: the World Wars, Prohibition in the United States and the transition to an assembly line production system. Indian ales require expensive technology, careful selection of components. In the age of watery lagers, their production has become simply unprofitable, especially since consumer tastes have changed, and complex bouquets were no longer popular.
The strength of the variety fell catastrophically and eventually reached a ridiculous 2.9% (IPA from Youngers). Style lost its individuality. The revival of IPA is due primarily to Fritz Maytag, who, through hard work and incessant experimentation, achieved the right taste, and in 1975 his Anchor brewery released the Liberty Ale Indian Pale Ale.
Today this variety belongs to the craft ones, it cannot be said that it is insanely popular, but every self-respecting brewery strives to include IPA in its product line. Well-known manufacturers include Brewdog, DogfishHead, Thornbridge, Oakham, Fullers. The alcohol content averages 5-8%.
Production technology
The main and main feature of IPA beer is additional hopping. If it is carried out at the beginning of the process, then the drink turns out to be bitter and “dry”, if at the end, aromatic beer comes out with minimal bitterness. The type and amount of hops used depends on the brewer, the style is characterized by 60-80 bitterness units on the International Bitterness Units (IBU) scale.
Sometimes on the label you can find the numbers 60, 70, 80, if there is an IBU marking next to them, then these are units of bitterness (concentration of bitter acids in beer). The higher the value, the more bitter the beer. There is even a joke among producers: “If you don’t know what to do with spoiled ale, add more hops to it!”.
Natural hop drinks wear out quickly, so they need to be drunk as quickly as possible. Back when IPAs were exported to India, Indian Pale Ales were so bitter right after bottling that they were of no gastronomic value, but towards the end of the journey, the taste softened to the desired level.
Types of Indian Pale Ales
The following categories are distinguished by taste:
- Extremely bitter. The name speaks for itself.
- Fragrant. Distinguished by an exquisite hop bouquet.
- Experimental. Various crafting variations – can be sour, sweet, yeasty, etc.
Geographically, there are three main types of IPA:
- British. Brewed with British hops, but not necessarily in the country itself. Famous brands: Green King, Burton, Fullers.
- American. The basis is American hops, the fortress rarely exceeds 7%. It has a balanced taste and citrus notes in the bouquet. Notable Brands: Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA, Stone IPA Brewdog Punk. A subspecies of this category can be considered Double IPA (“double”), its strength only starts at 7%. For example – Stone Enjoy By IPA. The Imperial subtype is even stronger – the alcohol content in it is 11% or more. A well-known brand is Alpine Exponential Hoppiness.
- Belgian. A very young type, he is no more than 10-15 years old. Brands: Stone Cali-Belgian IPA, Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian Style IPA, Duvel Triple Hop.
In addition, there are also:
- Black IPA is a dark malt beer with a double hop content.
- Session – a more “moderate” drink, with a strength of not more than 5%.
- Monohop – on one type of hop.
- Freshly hopped (Fresh hop). It is brewed in autumn after harvest on fresh hop cones. The finished drink is distinguished by notes of greenery and resin in the bouquet.
How to drink IPA beer
The Indian Pale Ale has its own beer glass – narrow at the bottom and tulip-shaped at the top.
Since there are an unimaginable number of Indian pale ales, there is no single gastronomic pair for them, it all depends on the tastes and preferences of the tasters. Strong beer traditionally goes well with meat snacks, with less bitter variations you can serve a bread basket, cheeses and even fruits.
