What defines India Pale Ale?

India pale ale (IPA) is a beefed-up version of pale ale, made using more hops and with a higher alcohol content. Created in England, the name is a result of its popularity with British troops stationed in India in the 19th century, when the subcontinent was still a British colony.

What does pale ale stand for?

English brewers began to make beer using malt that had been roasted with a fuel that had a high carbon content and low smoke yield. This resulted in the beer having a lighter, or paler, look than the more common dark beers of the time. Thus, the name Pale Ale was born.

Why are they called IPAs?

IPA stands for India Pale Ale. As the story goes, the drink earned its name during the British colonial era. It was too hot and humid to brew beer in India, but the British sailors still needed a drink. The style has evolved far from its roots in terms of taste — hello, American IPA — but it kept the name.

What is an imperial IPA?

The quest for more of the India pale ale flavor has led them to the imperial India pale ale, a stronger version of the American IPA, which boasts even more hoppy flavor, aroma and bitterness. Imperial India pale ale is darker in color than the American IPA, substantially more bitter, and high in alcohol by volume.

What is the difference between pale ale and India Pale Ale?

American Pale Ale has a soft, palatable and not-so-bitter taste, with an ABV between 5 and 6 percent. India Pale Ale has a stronger, hoppier taste with an ABV between 6 and 10 percent. The organization groups Double IPAs, which are brewed with more hops than typical IPAs, with Strong American Ales.

What’s the difference between India Pale Ale and Imperial pale ale?

“IPA” stands for India Pale Ale, a hoppy style of beer that falls under the pale ale category. Pale ale is a type of beer that is brewed with mostly pale malts for a more equal malt-to-hop ratio. Double IPAs, also called Imperial IPAs, are a much hoppier style of IPAs with alcohol content above 7.5 percent by volume.

What’s the difference between India Pale Ale and Imperial Pale Ale?

What makes an imperial ale?

The term “imperial” simply refers to a big beer, both in terms of flavor and alcohol. The term is used interchangeably with “double” and “strong” to refer to any style of beer brewed with an extra dose of grains and hops to produce a higher ABV (alcohol by volume).

Is pale ale the same as light ale?

Light Ale had its roots in the second half of the 19th century, when a new type of lighter Pale Ale arrived on the scene. Lower in alcohol and lighter in body than stock Pale Ales, like Bass or Allsopp, Dinner or Luncheon ales were, as their name implies, often consumed with meals in the home.

What kind of beer is pale ale?

Pale ale is a popular style of beer that’s hop-forward with a malty flavor, a golden to amber color, and moderate strength. Brewed with pale malt and ale yeast, pale ales bridge the gap between dark stouts and light lagers. They are full of flavor, but not too heavy, so the style is very approachable.

What kind of beer is India Pale Ale?

India pale ale. India Pale Ale (IPA) is a beer style characterized by high levels of alcohol and hops.

When did Pale Ale become popular in England?

Demand for the export style of pale ale, which had become known as India pale ale, developed in England around 1840 and India pale ale became a popular product in England. Some brewers dropped the term India in the late 19th century, but records indicated that these pale ales retained the features of earlier IPAs.

What kind of malt was used to make pale ale?

By the mid-18th century, pale ale was mostly brewed with coke -fired malt, which produced less smoking and roasting of barley in the malting process, and hence produced a paler beer.

Where was the first shipment of India Ale made?

London East End brewer Charrington ‘s trial shipments of hogsheads of “India Ale” to Madras and Calcutta in 1827 proved successful and a regular trade emerged with the key British agents and retailers: Griffiths & Co in Madras; Adam, Skinner and Co. in Bombay and Bruce, Allen & Co. in Calcutta.