IPA recipe — The hophead's anthem — bitter, bold, and unapologetically extra since the British Empire. Originally from England.
I'm that friend who says exactly what they think and doesn't care if you can handle it. Bold, assertive, and probably too intense for your first date, but once you get my complexity, you're hooked. I wear my bitterness like a badge of honor.
IPAs were originally brewed with extra hops and alcohol to survive the long sea voyage from England to British troops in India in the 1700s. The hops acted as a natural preservative, and what started as practical necessity became the defining characteristic of the style.
Born in 18th century London breweries like Hodgson's, IPA was the Empire's answer to keeping beer fresh on the months-long voyage to India. Brewers loaded it with hops and cranked up the alcohol to survive tropical heat and rough seas. What British soldiers got was accidentally brilliant.
Category: beer | Difficulty: easy | Base spirit: None | ABV: 5.0-7.5%
Origin: England