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India Pale Ale often is a popular, bitter-tasting brew.
(Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer)
Despite its name, the hoppy ale really is British in origin. Beyond that, its history gets a bit murky.
Some say brewers needed a higher alcohol brew to withstand the sea journey from England south and east to India. Others say it filled a requisite need among early imports as British colonialism took root in India. But it might be as simple as this: British sailors liked to drink.
Sailors received a generous per-man ration of beer aboard ships, almost unthinkable now. The British experimented with on-board brewing (only so much swabbing could be done). Morebeer.com sums it up well: "Combine the temperature fluctuations with the normal rocking motion of such a journey and the rough waters off of southern Africa, and you have one hellish trip for an ale."
Any way you look at it, alcohol and hops are fine ingredients for fending off spoilage. The heavy-on-the hops recipe protected against "infection by wild yeasts," beer guru Michael Jackson writes.
Many versions of this style's origins exist. And it seems for each one there is another story that debunks the first. But here's a colorful one, rooted in at least some truth:
In the 1790s, British brewer George Hodgson began to add more sugar to his pale ale. The increased sugar led to higher alcohol. The result was an ale more bitter than what folks were used to, and that was able to withstand the arduous trek to India. (Hodgson's ego, reportedly, led to price controls he initiated to effectively monopolize any competitors who cropped up, though this also seems subject to scrutiny.)
While the history is interesting, today's true connoisseurs of this style will do well to read the label, or website, of their favorite brewer. Specific hops yield specific flavors – Citra and cascade, for instance, have a grapefruit-like quality. This means an IPA in the United States will taste a bit different than those in England. It all depends on your taste and, for that matter, the terroir of a region.
Next time you hoist an IPA, think of the thirsty British sailors whose penchant for ale on arduous ship journeys helped foster, indirectly, this style.
Local examples: So many to mention. Market Garden Brewery makes a few, including Clusterfuggle, whose name is derived from the hop used. Great Lakes Brewing Co.'s Commodore Perry pays homage to naval history in this country. And Head Hunter from Fat Head's in North Olmsted has become a local award-winning favorite.
Book references: "Michael Jackson's Beer Companion," Michael Jackson; "Drinkology," James Waller.