India Pale Ale

IPA stands for India Pale Ale and describes a heavily hopped, top-fermented beer. Its history leads back to 18th and 19th century England, where strongly hopped and somewhat stronger pale ales were meant to survive the long sea journey. Today the IPA is a flagship of the craft beer scene.

Typical are marked bitterness and intense hop aromas of citrus, grapefruit, tropical fruit, resin or pine, depending on the hops used. Alcohol content is mostly 5.5 to 7.5 percent ABV, with double or imperial IPAs reaching more. Variants include West Coast IPA (dry, resinous), New England IPA (hazy, juicy, low bitterness) and session IPA (lighter). The beer is best enjoyed fresh because hop aromas fade over time.