India Pale Ale History

Long boat ride from england to india. So yes. Beyond that i don't know much about the history of ipas. English sailors during their colonization of india i believe

 

Bet that was a long trial & error process.

 

Yeah not to mention the water was unsafe to drink,so IPA was a blessing for the people back then.

 

There isn't (to my knowledge) concrete evidence to suggest the exact history of how IPA's came about but it is known that 18th century brewers were told to add 'extra' hops to their beer if it was to travel any sort of distance.

That sort of thing definitely supports the idea that it was brewed to survive the "long boat ride from England to India" as @Justin82 stated.

 

By sailing ship the journey took about six months.

 

How most people know it.

Once upon a time Pliny. Now everybody loves 'em. End.

Kidding. but that beer did wonders for the styles' popularity, being the first double/imperial.

 

Oh my god...how did they drink beer that was several months old. Didn't they know that it begins tasting like garbage after two weeks?

[sarcasm]

 

funny how things have changed, right? nowadays there is a "drink local" campaign, and heavily focused on IPAs.

but the historical reality is that IPA never was local or fresh - it was a months-old import ;-)

 

The story about the long haul around Africa is bogus. It was actually invented by Pliny the Elder back in 1322 as a beverage to be enjoyed at baseball games, which l believe he also invented.

 

https://beerconnoisseur.com/articles/truth-about-origins-ipa

 

We should also get some professional opinions on this...
@Martyartie
@patto1ro

 

Do hops really preserve the beer. to me, it seems that hoppy beers deteriorate after age ?!?!?!?!?

 

Idk but every time I reread the history of IPA, I walk away none the wiser. It's all ambiguity run amuck.

 

The hop aroma and flavor dissipates with age and oxygen ingress. The anti microbial properties (acids, essential oils and chloroform extract) apparently remain active long after aroma and flavor volatiles are lost.

 

Nobody really knows the origin of IPA's. When original recipes are tracked down they seem to have significant variation so it isn't entirely clear how exactly the beer was different and why it was brewed differently.

Anybody telling you they know the origin of IPA's is likely just blowing smoke. They may believe they know, but they don't really know.

 

@jesskidden knows all.

 

Folks should also remember that the English beers back then likely had Brettanomyces as part of the ferment, and spent time in wood barrels, some of which were treated with burning pitch inside to seal and protect, so likely there was flavor(s) added from that too. Brettanomyces actually means English Fungus. The likelihood is that our IPA and the original style in England are not even close to tasting similar. I always consider that if an IPA was fermented in a foeder with heirloom hops and with Brett C. added it might be as close as we come to the originals.

 

Higher IBU's inhibit bacterial growth...hops don't act as a preservative, but an antibacterial agent. That's why the beer "stays" longer.

 

IPAs or "pale ales as prepared for India" were consumed by folks in England... but some had fewer hops and would therefore be suitable for drinking quicker than the export ale.