Do You Remember Your First IPA?

I believe my first IPA was the now retired Ranger from New Belgium. I remember regretting buying a six pack of it because I thought it was so bitter. Here I am over 10 years later and I’m a certified hop head. Funny how that works

 

Jealous! But they did say that he was fond of the place.

The coolest thing I ever did was draw cask pints from the beer engine after hours.

 

Shit, that's actually the beer I meant. I forgot the name and when I googled Red Hook IPA the first page of results was all Long Hammer. But you're 100% right, that's what I was drinking in the early 90s.

 

I knew I should have done a quick check before I hit "enter." But it doesn't change the fact that for me Harpoon was a game changer.

 

Took a while before Redhook put an IPA label on it.

 

All the mentions of Harpoon, I checked my reviews. Yes, I got it in a trade with @Wasatch and I really liked it.

 

That was a long time ago.

Cheers!

 

13 years ago.

 

When people write Redhook are they referring to the original Redhook Ale from a few decades ago? Memory tells me that was more akin to a malty pale ale.

 

I have fond memories of visiting Redhook for their 5th anniversary. Ballad Bitter was $1 a pint!

 

I reckon that Ballard Bitter was around before BA. I don't remember if it had a solid malt base but it could have.

 

Yes, Ballard Bitter was first, hence the $1 a pint I wrote above. I just happened to be traveling in Seattle at the time. Down in California only Redhook Ale was available, I believe. Think something similar to SN Pale, but slightly sweeter with less hop character. That's what I remember anyway.

 

Just called Redhook Ale?

 

Yup. That's what I remember anyway. This is back in the early 1990s. Celebration was known as Celebration Ale. SN Torpedo wasn't introduced until 2009 (according to Wiki).

 

I do remember that. I also remember the first time I had it at a small beer fest in Northern Illinois -- sponsored by a local home-brew club and attended mostly by home brewers.

We all looked at the name and rolled our eyes. But we liked it!

 

I do not. But I know I do not like it. Nor the second or the third. The first one that I enjoyed was Two Hearted. I'm glad I let someone talk me into trying another IPA after I had pretty much given up on the style.

 

Nope.
Back in college (mid-late 90s), Pete’s Wicked, SA Boston Ale, Redhook ESB, and Guinness were my go-tos. If I had to guess, it was likely Liberty Ale, Goose IPA, or something in a variety pack. I hung out with a lot of grad students and kinda skipped the cheap AAL phase.

 

Even in the days when IPA was shipped to India there were many breweries who simply labelled it as Pale Ale. Bass for example.

 

Well wouldn't it become an "India" pale ale once the pale ale got to (or maybe was sent?) to India?

 

Cant remember my first. I took a hiatus from beer from maybe 2002 to 2010. When I left I hadn't had SNPA. and few others were around. I was on the browns and wheats. When I came back they were everywhere. I tried a few here and there but the one I remember most was heady. Drinking that beer was equateable to an epiphany. Instead of pine sol I was picking up the citrus and tropical flavors of the hops and esters. The rest is history.