Ask anyone to name a craft beer and chances are they will say IPA. India Pale Ale has become the defining style of the modern craft beer movement — bold, aromatic, sometimes bitter, sometimes juicy, always interesting. Yet its origins are far more complex than the popular legend would have you believe.
Origins: The Long Voyage to India
The classic story goes like this: British brewers in the 18th century needed to ship beer to British troops and colonists in India. The voyage around the Cape of Good Hope took six months, and ordinary beers went off. So brewers added extra hops (a natural preservative) and extra alcohol to create a beer robust enough to survive the journey — and that became India Pale Ale.
Modern beer historians have complicated this picture. Heavily hopped pale ales were being exported to India before the IPA name became common, and the style was popular at home as much as abroad. But the core truth remains: IPA is a style built around hops, and it was the hop-forward bitterness and aroma that made it special — and that made American craft brewers fall in love with it in the 1980s and 90s.
The Decline and Revival
IPA declined in Britain through the 20th century as brewing consolidated and consumers shifted to lighter, less bitter beers. It was American craft brewers who rescued and reinvented it. Brewers like Sierra Nevada and Anchor explored aggressive dry-hopping techniques, used new American hop varieties bursting with citrus and pine character, and created a style that was distinctly their own.
By the early 2000s, American IPA had become the flagship style of the craft movement, and brewers around the world were following the American lead — while also putting their own regional stamp on the style.
Modern IPA Styles
IPA today is not a single style but a family of styles, each with its own character:
- West Coast IPA — The original American IPA template. Clean, dry, aggressively bitter, with citrus, pine and resin notes. Built for clarity and bitterness.
- New England / Hazy IPA (NEIPA) — A soft, juicy, low-bitterness IPA with a hazy, unfiltered appearance. Heavy on tropical and stone fruit aromas from late and dry hopping. The fastest-growing IPA sub-style.
- Session IPA — Under 4.5% ABV but with full hop character. Designed for extended drinking without the alcohol punch.
- Double / Imperial IPA (DIPA) — 8% ABV and above, massively hopped. Intense and complex, not for the faint-hearted.
- Brut IPA — Bone-dry and sparkling, fermented with enzymes to remove residual sugar. Champagne-like, rarely seen but fascinating.
- Black IPA — The contradiction in a glass. Dark-roasted malt character meets big hop aroma. Also called Cascadian Dark Ale.
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
IPA's versatility extends to the table. The bitterness that defines the style acts as a palate cleanser, cutting through fat and richness. West Coast IPAs pair brilliantly with spicy food, grilled meats and strong cheeses. Hazy IPAs suit lighter dishes — fish, salads, Thai cuisine. Imperial IPAs stand up to rich, intensely flavoured foods or can be sipped alone as a serious drink.
If you're new to IPA and find the bitterness challenging, start with a Hazy NEIPA — the juicy, tropical fruit character and lower bitterness make it one of the most approachable beer styles available.