What IPA beers are and why India Pale Ales are so good
IPA beers, acronym for India Pale Ale, represent a beer style born in the United Kingdom in the 18th century, characterized by a generous use of hops, which gives the drink intense aromas and a strong bitterness: this feature made them less “nationally popular” until recently. Today, however, modern versions have evolved to become very beloved, perhaps the most loved craft beers of all.
In fact, the IPA market is constantly growing: just think that in the United States they represent over 45% of craft brewery sales, and on Untappd, an American social platform dedicated to beer lovers, the IPA style has been the most reviewed in the last 12 years.
And it doesn’t end there: according to a study reported by the British magazine The Drink Business, moderate consumption of IPA beer not only has fewer negative health effects than any alcoholic product, but could even have some beneficial effects, thanks to its antigenotoxic properties!
Could it be true? We certainly like IPAs a lot.
Now let’s explain in detail what the ingredients of IPA beers are, how they are produced artisanally, their organoleptic characteristics, and the best food pairings.
How an artisanal IPA beer is produced
The production of an artisanal IPA beer follows a meticulous process starting from the selection of ingredients. The fundamental elements are water, barley malt (and other cereals in smaller amounts), yeast, and above all, hops. The latter is the key ingredient that gives IPA its characteristic bitter taste and distinctive aromas.
The production process begins with grinding the barley malt, which is then mixed with hot water in a mash tun. This phase allows the extraction of sugars from the malt. The resulting sweet wort is separated from the spent grains and brought to a boil, at which point hops are added for the first time. The timing and amount of hops added at this stage determine the intensity of the bitterness and some aromatic nuances in the final beer.
After boiling, the wort is cooled and transferred to fermenters, where yeast is added. During fermentation, yeast transforms sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide, often leaving few – or no – aromatic traces of its activity.
As mentioned at the beginning, the IPAs that have thrilled enthusiasts and newcomers for over thirty years of the Craft Beer Revolution were reborn in the United States with a concept and ingredients very different from those used for the first London examples of the 1700s.
Once again, hops mark the most significant differences: a traditional English India Pale Ale does not have the pronounced tropical, resinous, and citrus notes we are used to when drinking what experts insist on calling “American IPA,” but commonly known simply as IPA.
The production phases where most of the distinctive aromas just described develop are those after boiling, namely cooling, fermentation, and subsequent maturation.
Here, the addition of hops during these phases is called “Dry Hopping,” which we prefer to translate as “cold hopping” in Italian, since it is precisely the lower temperatures that allow more aromas to be trapped and less bitterness extracted compared to hop additions during boiling.
India Pale Ale: characteristics and pairings
India Pale Ale beers are renowned for their bitter taste and intense aromas, derived from the generous and varied use of hops. The color ranges from straw yellow to golden, but can also reach amber and the impenetrable black of Black IPAs, while the aromatic bouquet can range from floral, herbal, citrus, resinous, to summer and tropical fruit notes. The alcohol content usually ranges between 5% and 8%, but there are also “Session” (lighter) and “Imperial” (stronger) versions, as well as some excellent non-alcoholic IPAs starting to appear.
Given these organoleptic premises, what gastronomic pairings are ideal for IPAs? They are definitely delicious with fish dishes (especially the less bitter IPAs typical of the East Coast), shellfish, and fresh cheeses.
Moreover, they also pair well with simpler and more traditional first courses: spicy food lovers might try pairing them with spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino, for example. Regarding meat, in America we learn that IPAs are perfect for a summer barbecue and especially for the most varied and flavorful hamburgers.
And with desserts? With due attention to the sweet-bitter balance and perhaps a touch of citrus marmalade, you can also enjoy a good IPA at the end of a meal.
