Return of hopped-up IPAs
When you think about up-and-coming styles of beer, India pale ale (IPA) does not immediately spring to mind. This style of ale has, after all, been around for more than 200 years, having been originally developed in the late 1700s by George Hodgson of Abbot & Hodgson's Bow Brewery, in east London, as his solution to a problem that had bothered the British for some time.
Ever since India was first colonised earlier in the century, the question of how best to supply beer to the soldiers, sailors and colonists had exercised the minds of brewers and military leaders. The trouble was that porters and stouts, the nation's then favourites, were ill-suited to the rigours of the passage to India.
The journey could take between three and five months and, apart from the constant rocking of the ship, the beer was subjected to tremendous fluctuations in temperature. The result was usually flat, sour beer. Even if it did arrive in good shape, porter is not the best of thirst-quenchers in a hot climate.
Hodgson's solution was to produce a new version of his brewery's bronze-coloured pale ale, a style that had been around in London since the 1750s and had been perfected and popularised by the brewers of Burton-on-Trent. His stroke of genius was to beef up the hop content, protecting the beer against bacteria, improving its storage time and preventing it from turning sour.
Hodgson also brewed his IPA with a higher alcohol content (about 6% abv), which reduced the actions of unfriendly microbes. More dry hops were added to the casks later for further protection.
The success of the recipe led to an explosion in the amount of beer exported to India. It grew from fewer than 1,500 barrels in 1750 to 9,000 barrels in 1800.
But Hodgson got greedy. Attempting to fix prices and exploit his near-monopoly of the Indian trade, he upset his importers and the powerful East India Company. They eventually conspired with the brewers of Burton to break his stranglehold on the market. The sulphate-rich waters of Burton also meant their India pale ales were clearer, crisper and tastier than those produced in London.
So why are these beers relevant to today's market? Most of the ales produced in Britain in recent times under the IPA name bear little resemblance to the early brews. Their hop and alcohol content are just a shadow of their former selves.
"Most would have fallen apart before they reached Tilbury," says Rupert Ponsonby of the National Hop Association, which is trying to promote the brewing of IPAs. Its Beauty of Hops awards, held last month, included competitions for the best English and international IPAs. "It's a style of beer that ought to rise," Ponsonby says, "particularly because there's a growing trend in hotels and restaurants towards matching beer and food. A good IPA fits into this well. It's a stronger flavour, like a Cabernet Sauvignon."
Winner of the English IPA section at the Beauty of Hops competition was Broadside (6.3% abv) from Adnams & Co in Suffolk. It is made using First Gold dwarf hops, which lend the beer a hint of orange blossom and some rich, Christmas pudding-like notes. n
Beer of the month: Broadside, 6.3% abv, Adnams & Co, £17.02 plus VAT for a case of 12 x 500ml bottles. Enquiries: 01502 727272.
by David Shrimpton
