Mark Thursday August 1st in your calendar and set an alert – it’s International IPA (India Pale Ale) Day!
So let’s delve into some IPA trivia:
British Troops occupying India made the style popular in the late 18th century, but these heavily hopped ales had been around since the 17th Century.
A home-brewing U.S congressional legalisation in 1978 saw a resurgence in the brew style and is credited to the success in the boom of the modern commercial craft beer movement.
IPAs were derived from aged October Ales. Popular belief has been that iconic Brewer George Hodgson invented the style to ensure there was a beer that could be successfully shipped to British troops – but this is inaccurate. Troops were already drinking porters and other beer in good quantities before the export of IPA.
The first record of an IPA being actually named an IPA was in Australia. The newly coined term East India Pale Ale appeared in an ad printed in the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser on August 28, 1829, but the responsible brewery is unknown.
There are many types of modern India Pale Ales; West Coast IPA, Hazy/New England IPA, Double/Imperial, Triple and Quad IPA, Black IPA, Brut IPA, White IPA, Red IPA, Cold IPA, Milkshake IPA… endless! Session IPA is globally the fastest growing category.
The 2019 Beverage Industry Beer Report found that 31.5% of craft beers being brewed were of an IPA style.
