10 / 28
T
here are few pleasures greater in life
than drinking a cold beer on a hot
summer’s day. Now that those warm
summer days are almost upon us,
we are starting to move away from
our dark and heavy brews, to lighter and more
refreshing beers such as IPAs and Blonde Ales.
India Pale Ales are a classic hoppy style of beer
perfect for relaxing on those summer days. They
originated in England in the late 1700’s, when
brewers tried to create a beer that could withstand
the six-month sail from England to the export
market in India without a decrease in quality. To
do this, they brewed a beer with a high alcohol
content and added more hops. The antimicrobial
properties of the hops acted as a natural preservative
and prevented spoilage on these long journeys.
The result was a strong and bitter-tasting beer,
dominated by the hoppy flavour. Due to this, IPAs are
often considered to be an acquired taste. However,
once it is acquired, it is very hard to find another style
of beer that quite matches them in terms of flavour
and aromas. Many IPAs can also be described as
having a fruity, flowery, or citrusy taste depending
on what style of hops were used in brewing.
India pale ales fell slightly to the wayside with
the advent of refrigerated transportation and
faster steamships, but have enjoyed a major
resurgence recently with the flourishing craft
IPASAND
BLONDEALES
style
profile
by
Josh McCormick
10
MA R Y L A N D B R EW P U B