#whatbeerwednesdays: Episode 5

American IPA

Welcome back to the blog for another enthralling episode of #whatbeerwednesdays - and yes I am acutely aware it is Thursday in much of the world. The series dedicated to the forgotten beer styles BTT recommends you enjoy every Wednesday in lieu of what might get you the most likes on social media.

This week, we cast the net over the American iPA.

The haze craze took over the beer world like a military coup no one had quite expected. As Garrett Oliver, head brewer at Brookyn Brewery and author of The Brewmaster’s Table and primary contributor to The Oxford Companion to Beer quite rightly noted: “The #hazyIPA is the world’s first #instabeer.”

Personally I see nothing wrong with this in and of itself. However, search Instagram hashtags for “IPA” and observe the top ranking posts. Notice a trend in the appearance of each beer?

Moreover, the fun of Instagramming and Untappd checking-in beers does take away from the fun of physical socialising, and the end result is many classic styles and brands have all of a sudden found themselves struggling to remain relevant. As you know, this is more or less the premise to this blog series and other campaigns like #flagshipfebruary.

It must be remembered we wouldn’t be here in the first place were it not for this loud and proud beer style.

From here on in it’s (almost) all filter and #nofilter as we delve most deeply into the classic American IPA style.

Mr. Banks Brewing, based in Melbourne's south, is among the country's fines, particularly where hop-forward beers are concerned. Their West Coast IPA is a great example of the style. Image shows a glass of beer placed on a wooden table with a Chesterfield couch in the background

American IPAs: What you need to know

Origin: The modern IPA has its background in the English IPA and American pale ale styles.

Etymology: Here’s where things get complicated. For further reading, I have provided a link to the origins and myths surrounding the English forerunner of the modern IPA style. For now, IPA in the true modern sense is used to denote a hoppy pale ale. Many IPAs are not exactly pale and they certainly don’t have any connection to India.

Availability: All over. IPA is among the most widely produced craft beer styles. Even your local supermarket or chain bottleshop/ liquor store/ off-licence should have at the very least a couple to choose from.

ABV: 5.5-7.5%.

Approachability: Variable. If you are new to craft beer you might find hop forward beers to be something of a challenge as your palate, not naturally tuned to taste something so bitter, gradually adapts. Otherwise IPAs can range from balanced and approachable through to the more extreme end of the scale.

Glassware: The Spiegelau (in conjunction with Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head)) IPA glass (pictured) was designed with the IPA in mind. Its tapered-in head concentrates aroma while the ribbed bottom reinvigorates carbonation. Otherwise a stemmed tulip glass with a tapered top will do.

A (not so) brief history of the American IPA

Remember in the last episode we busted open the romantic, even bucolic but ultimately inaccurate history of the saison style? The origin of the IPA tops the lot in terms of historic inaccuracies and myths perceived as facts. But as stated above, you can learn that side of IPA’s history in depth over at Martyn Cornell’s Zythophile blog (link provided below). His excellent piece that puts pay to the belief George Hodgson invented the IPA and that early IPAs were sent to India for slaking the thirsts of soldiers on the Colonial frontline. You might be shocked but not surprised to learn that, as in the homeland, pale beers were the preserve of the elite while the troops preferred porter.

Fast forward to the advent of the American craft beer movement and IPAs henceforth became a very different thing. There are two precursors to the style: Anchor Brewing’s all-Cascade hop Liberty Ale and Ballantyne’s IPA, oak-aged and brewed to a traditional English recipe.

As the American pale ale style emerged brewers and drinkers suddenly yearned for more hops. With pale ale at its base and the notable clean fermentation profile, American IPAs soon became a showcase for the country’s ever-expanding array of citrusy, tropical, piny, bitter and resinous hops. 

An IBUs arms race soon followed as brewers battled it out to see who could brew the most extreme IPA, along with double IPAs, black IPAs, red IPAs and other variations on the theme.

Philter Brewing's IPA is clean, refreshing, punchy with citrus . Unfussy, one can easily enjoy three or four of these in a sitting and not be fatigued or overwhelmed. Image shows a stemmed tulip glass of beer to the left and its matching can on the right.

Why are IPAs so awesome?

That’s like asking why burgers are so awesome? Or why Porsches are so awesome? Or rock concerts? American IPAs are a concentrated explosion of citrus, tropical fruit and resinous flavour while keeping the experience relatively simple.

The good ones, though full in flavour, are also super refreshing.

Hazy IPAs have all the fruit juice you want, but too many and suddenly 6PM feels like 6AM and it’s breakfast all over again. Unless we’re talking unfiltered IPAs which are a totally different animal. Unfiltered IPAs are absolutely chockers with bitterness.

And I’m sure the more seasoned IPA drinkers among you will agree there is nothing more awesome than an IPA with just the right amount of resinousness!

Golden Road's Heal the Bay IPA, brewed in Los Angeles, Calif is a classic example of the style brimming with massive tropical fruit flavours. Image shows a glass of beer to the left and its matching can to the right.

American IPAs are better than wine with…

Spicy food.

Or so the myth goes. The question is, do you want something to quell the heat, or enhance it?

If you are looking to quell the heat, look elsewhere (hummus is great for taming the fire of chilli). Beer’s carbonic bite (the sensation of vigorous carbonation hitting the tongue) and alcohol will elevate the heat derived from chilli’s capsaicin. Moreover, chilli is hydrophobic, which is to say it is repelled by a mass of water, hence beer will make chilli even angrier (beer being ~92% water).

To that end, resist the urge to go balls-out hot with your chosen rub, sauce or marinade if you intend to enjoy a few IPAs with dinner. Go instead for something milder, with lots of bright citrus flavours that’ll play off IPAs’ own citrus, tropical and stone fruit characters. You’ll find the heat of the chilli elevated to a satisfying level.

This match works particularly well when your chosen IPA is at the lower end of the bitterness scale.

Further reading

Four IPA Myths Busted, by Martyn Cornell.

Look out for a post taking a look at beer's kaleidoscopic weird and wonderful side in the coming days. Caramel Creme White Chocolate NEIPA that tastes like the middle of a creme egg, anyone?