IPA
IPAs: The World's Favourite Craft Beer
IPAs are known for their unmistakable hoppy notes and multiple layers of flavour ranging from fruity to piney and everything in between. It is the most popular craft beer style in the world and is often the first beer style introduced to people dipping their toes into the ever-evolving sea of craft beer.
What does IPA stand for?
IPA stands for "India Pale Ale." The story goes that in the late 1700s, brewers evolved their hopping process and discovered that more hops meant greater preservation of beers on long journeys such as to, you guessed it, India. For the best part of two centuries, IPA was the dominant style in the UK and abroad. After two world wars and the rise of a little-known beer style called Lager, it was consigned to the backwater, drunk only by real ale fanatics. That is, until Jimmy Carter legalised homebrewing in the US in 1979. At this point, homebrewers, keen to emulate English styles, started brewing English styles using American ingredients.
IPAs Today
Nowadays IPAs have splintered off into more substyles than we can count: Black IPA, Brut IPA, East Coast IPA, West Coast IPA, New England IPA (NEIPA), Hazy IPA, Milkshake IPA, Double IPA, Triple IPA, and the list keeps on growing! Whether you're just discovering IPAs or are looking for something new exciting, Beer Hawk's IPA lineup has something for everyone!
Keen to learn more about the revolutionary beer style? Check out our IPA Style Guide.