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IPA

Posted by Barry on 2014-06-21 02:08:40

Of course, Nick - though not sure about 200 years ago: a reprint of an old publication  that I bought in the Bass brewery museum some years ago suggests around 1840.  But I'm probably the only person on this site who was drinking it as their 'everyday' beer more than 50 years ago in England and, if my memory serves me right, it was nothing like the IPA's that are brewed today, particularly the US ones.  IMHO, two reasons: first, the level and types of hop used - it seems to me that American hops are much more 'aggressively' bitter than EKG and the like.  Second, the strength: I don't remember it being so strong, I think a bit of research that I did for this discussion a bit back suggested around 5% OG, not the stratospheric figures that we see today.  Back in the days when 4% was considered normal for bitter, we thought of IPA as really just another session beer not some mind blowing alternative. Actually, I think my home brewed IPA is about as close to 50 year old IPA as you'll get - but you have to be really lucky to taste it!

Followups:

IPA by Nick B. on  2014-06-22 01:12:12