Short for India (or Indian) Pale Ale, IPA was invented (rather confusingly, perhaps) in the UK in the 1780s, but became the drink of choice among British soldiers serving in India under the control of the British East India Company.
Naturally, they’ve since evolved since then and continue to do so, becoming the poster child for the craft beer movement that dominates the pubs and bars of today. They are synonymous with a distinctively bitter flavour and famously boozy profile. But it’s important to note that not all IPAs are bitter and not all IPAs are boozy – that would be massively oversimplifying the matter.
Sarah Hobday, Beer Educator at WSET (The Wine & Spirits Education Trust), which has just launched two new beer courses, is on hand to shed some light.
She explains: “IPA is a style of beer with a great deal of variation. Indeed, it’s more like a family of beers containing many different substyles. Contemporary versions have evolved from a branch of this family starting in the USA.
In the ‘80s, American brewers created a version using local ingredients including American hops, which are known for their prominent fruity, citrusy, pithy and piney characteristics. It’s these that have come to define the American IPA substyle so popular today.”
She adds: “Over the years, a range of other substyles with different flavour profiles has evolved, too. Some are defined by the different types of malt and grains used in the recipe.
For example, black IPA is a version brewed with dark-roasted malts, giving flavours such as coffee and chocolate, which balance with the American hop notes. Alternatively, rye IPA has spicy notes because of the inclusion of rye grains. Meanwhile, brown IPA uses highly-kilned or caramel malts, bringing aromas like toast, biscuit or toffee into the mix. We’ve also seen IPA substyles that incorporate characterful notes from yeast. And Belgian IPA has characteristic fruity and peppery notes from the Belgian yeast strains used in the fermentation.”
Hobday concludes: “Of all the substyles that have evolved from the American IPA, the hazy IPA has been the most popular. It has plenty of citrus, stone and tropical fruit aromas and is less bitter.
Brewers achieve this flavour profile by adding hops in later to retain aromas while extracting less bitterness. Hazy IPA often has a soft, pillowy texture on the palate thanks to the use of oats and wheat in the recipe and gets its name from its appearance.
Excitingly, a recent substyle has evolved called the milkshake IPA. This uses lactose in the recipe for extra sweetness and is often flavoured with vanilla or fruit. For an indication of higher alcohol content, look out for the terms ‘double IPA’ and ‘triple IPA’, while ‘session IPA’ indicates a lower alcohol by volume (ABV). In short, IPA can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but one thing they generally have in common is showcasing hop characteristics, whether in their aromas or bitterness, or indeed, both.”
While IPA might be as divisive as a well-known savoury toast-topper – you either love it or hate it – there’s no denying it’s seriously refreshing drink. Here, we round-up the best cans to crack open and cheers with.
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Greene King Hazy Day IPA
Arguably, one of the best things about IPA beer is the artwork on the can, usually fun and quirky, and Hazy Day doesn’t disappoint by depicting a man in the stocks inspired by 16th century Bury St. Edmunds (where Greene King has been brewing for over 200 years). Flavour-wise, it’s all about orange, citrus and tropical notes with a fruity and smooth finish. Seriously delish.
Buy now £5.50, Tesco
Greene King Prior Life All Day IPA
The clue’s in the name with this one: an easy-drinking IPA you can enjoy all-day long with mellow tropical notes and light, bright citrus aromas. It’s as deliciously low-strength as the beer the Benedictine monks – the original master brewers of the Greene King brewery in Bury St. Edmunds – would drink litres of every day.
Buy now £4.50, Tesco
Adnams Ease Up IPA
Gorgeously golden in colour, this session IPA from Adnams is bursting with fresh, zesty citrus flavours thanks to bright, aromatic hops. Flavours of pine and fruity notes of peach and melon precede a pithy grapefruit finish. Lipsmackingly good.
Buy now £1.65, Waitrose
Jump Ship Brewing Jackstaff IPA
We love the name of this non-alcoholic IPA from Jump Ship Brewing – the first non-alcoholic brewery in Scotland – which was launched by marketeer-turned-brewer Sonja Mitchell thanks to her love of beer but fear of hangovers (ain’t that the truth).
Expect a heady mix of citrus, pine and peach with plenty of flavour but none of the booze. Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free, – so everyone’s invited.
Buy now £12.99, Jump Ship
Small Beer Company Summer of ’21 IPA
This IPA from the Small Beer brewery nestled between South Bermondsey station and the Old Kent Road in London is proof that good things really do come in pretty packages. Floral, hoppy aromas with a hint orange are followed by crisp, biscuity flavours and a rich, marmalade bitterness.
Buy now £2.85, Abel and Cole
Collider Unwind Session Pale
Allow us to introduce Collider, one of the UK’s first adaptogen-infused, non-alcoholic beers, which has played a blinder with its Unwind Session Pale. It’s made with British malted barley, wheat, American hops, yeast, water and a signature blend of mood-boosting adaptogens to help you relax without the blinding headache afterwards.
For those who didn’t know, adaptogens are plant substances that helps our bodies manage stress and restore balance.
Buy now £27.00, Collider
Crafty Brewing Personalised IPA
Brewed in Godalming in Surrey, Personalised IPA from Crafty Brewing does what it says on the tin – quite literally – by enabling you to inscribe what you like on the label. Great as a gift for birthdays while the taste ain’t half-bad, either.
Also try this award-winning bottle called Hop Tipple IPA containing a thirst-quenching, golden-coloured IPA. Down the hatch!
Buy now £20.00, Crafty Brewing
Co-op IPA Ale Bottle
This fruit-forward IPA from Co-op features a smooth and rich combination of hops for a refreshing finish that simply begs you to kick back in the garden after the working day is done.
Buy now £1.90, Co-op
Toast New Dawn Session IPA
Punchy citrus notes are followed by a bold yet subtly floral taste in Toast New Dawn Session IPA. As its name suggests, the beer is made with surplus bread combined with malted barley and American hops. Think of it as turning leftover bread into liquid gold. This brewery is certainly using its loaf.
Buy now £6.25, Waitrose
Lucky Saint Alcohol Free Hazy IPA
Lucky Saint is constantly ranked as one of the best alcohol-free beer brands for good reason, and its no-booze take on an IPA is no exception, complete with tropical and stone fruits that make for a juicy, hazy slurp.
Buy now £6.00, Waitrose
Salcombe Brewery Atlas
Salcombe Brewery, based in its eponymous town in Devon, has created a limited-edition beer in the form of Atlas: a session IPA made from a winning combination of British, American and Australian hops. The result is fruity and flavoursome with notes of peach, blueberry and papaya teamed with a citrus finish. It will make you wish you were beside the seaside.
Buy now £27.50, Salcombe Brewery
M&S New England IPA
New England-style by name and nature. Double dry-hopped, expect a vibrant and hazy pale beer from M&S New England IPA with a smooth and creamy character brimming with tropical notes of pineapple, mango and lemon. Simply sublime.
Buy now £3.50, Ocado
Harvey Nichols x Oxo Tower Gluten-Free Session IPA
Featuring all the wallop of an IPA with a moderate alcohol level and absolutely no gluten, this collaboration between Harvey Nicks and Oxo Tower delivers more tropical fruit than a Caribbean island. Expect passionfruit, mango, pineapple and grapefruit on the palate for a beer that’s bright and bold.
Buy now £36.00, Harvey Nichols
Vocation Heart & Soul Gluten Free Session IPA
Full-bodied and fruity, this gluten-free beer has all the hoppy goodness of an IPA but with a seriously sessionable strength. Expect fruit-salad flavours with bold notes of passionfruit, grapefruit, gooseberry, pineapple and mango. It positively zings on the tongue.
Buy now £19.00, Vocation
