Oktoberfest: The India Pale Ale hops back into its country of origin

Bold, mysterious and flavourful, the IPA (India Pale Ale) dates back to the British rule days. The beer is regaining favour in its country of origin with a greater number of Indians taking to more bitter tastes in food and drink. (Photo: Josh Olade via Unsplash)

India Pale Ale, also known as IPA, is arguably the most divisive beer style in the world; people either love the strong hoppy flavour or absolutely abhor it. But there’s no denying that it’s the trendiest beer in the game. The beer itself has a fascinating history dating back to the days of the British rule in India.

The story is that the beer that was shipped from England for the soldiers and administrators serving in India often got spoilt in the long journey. It was too hot to brew in India. So what was needed was a beer that could survive the gruelling six-month journey from England. The brewers in England started making a more alcoholic beer by adding more hops to the beer which acted as a preservative. The beer not only survived the journey, but was improved immeasurably. The strong, heavily hopped beer came to be known as India Pale Ale.

Every taproom in India has, at least, two IPAs on draught. (Photo via Unsplash)

A higher ABV (alcohol by volume) and more hop-forward flavour are two of the best-known characteristics of any IPA even today. “IPA have always been popular in India. It was brewed in India until 1963-64 at the Kasauli Brewery in Himachal Pradesh which was also India’s first brewery. But they stopped making the style when hops started to get very expensive,” says Prateek Chaturvedi, COO, BrewDog India. The slightly bitter (and sometimes aggressively bitter) beer style is a mainstay of the Scotland-based multinational which has the largest portfolio of IPAs in the world.

Hops is the marquee ingredient behind all worthy and delicious IPAs. (Photo: Unsplash)

Highway Hop Stara IPA that Woodside Inn Mumbai brewed in collaboration with Rolling Mills Brewing Company.

Soon these bitter bombs, owing to their strong, more evolved flavour profile, became a popular choice among the craft-brewing community in the 1990s, especially in the UK and the US. Though IPA is made with more hops, there’s no standard formula for an IPA. It’s all up to the brewer. These days the category is flooded with beers of varying levels of ABV, brewing methods and flavours that range from fruity, floral to herbaceous and spicy. There are alcohol-free IPAs, too.

For people who have been brought up on wheat beers, lagers and pilsners, an IPA can be challenging at first. ‘Very bitter’ or ‘too strong’ are common first reactions to an IPA. “The growth of IPAs when compared with that of craft lagers and wheat beer has been relatively slow due to a variety of factors. The high bitterness is the main challenge followed by availability and price of good quality hops. However, Indian breweries are now finding a balance between using good hops to make IPAs with lower bitterness which makes it more appealing to a larger audience. The experimentation and creative style of IPAs like New England IPA, White IPAs, etc., are also helping consumers find their favourite flavour profile,” says Pankil Shah, director and co-founder, Neighbourhood Hospitality Pvt. Ltd, the parent company of Woodside Inn, Mumbai.

Pankil Shah, director and co-founder, Neighbourhood Hospitality Pvt. Ltd, Woodside Inn, Mumbai.

The change is palpable — there are more IPAs now than ever before on the shelves of liquor stores, virtually every taproom in India has, at least, two IPAs on draught and even the non-beer nerds are asking for them. And the strong following is only going to grow believes Chaturvedi. “Craft beer lovers are now looking beyond the usual lager and wheat beer, which have almost become a mass market phenomenon. They are now seeking more interesting beers. IPA has surged in popularity as it’s more flavourful, more aromatic and even tastier. The top three selling beers at Brewdog India — Punk IPA, Elvis Juice and Clockwork Tangerine — are all IPAs,” says Chaturvedi. Globally, IPA sales for BrewDog bars account to more than 90 per cent and, in India, it amounts to approximately 40 per cent.

Why does the IPA appeal to the Indian beer drinker? The answer could be in the changing of taste buds. “Indians are increasingly growing fond of more bitter tastes in food and drink. Take coffee, whisky or dark chocolate, for instance. Craft beer lovers are no longer happy to settle for bland lager-style beers, or dark malty beers. They want something bold, mysterious and flavourful, which is what an IPA is,” says Aniruddh Solanki, a Mumbai-based tech consultant and IPA lover.

Brewdog Punk IPA

The red hot world of IPA is now seeing some really cool iterations and innovations. Brewers are playing with seasonal ingredients to create new flavour profiles that break the IPA’s singularly bitter reputation. Brewdog India has a mango IPA made from the fresh pulp of dussehri mangoes and another one using lychee in season. But the hot seller from the brand is the Punk IPA which pours golden and sings of tropical fruits and caramel. “Citrusy IPAs make it easier for a wheat beer drinker to move from the sweetness of the wheat beer to the slightly bitter citrusy IPA,” says Chaturvedi.

Brewdog Elvis Juice

While popular craft beer brand Bira 91 makes a very zesty and citrusy IPA with pomelo, Maka Di fuses grapes sourced from Nashik with aromatic German and American hops. The pink pour is moderate in bitterness and has a Brut sparkling wine-like character. Eight Finger Eddie by Goa Brewing Co brews a creamy IPA with notes of tropical fruits.

Eight Finger Eddie IPA

There is no doubt that over the next few years the IPA footprint will continue to grow alongside the explosion of the Indian craft beer movement. So, the next time you find yourself at a bar or an alcohol store, don’t hesitate to ‘hop’ over and try this poster boy of the craft world.