History of IPA: Why It's Called India Pale Ale, and How It Changed

The short answer: IPA, or India Pale Ale, began as a heavily hopped, well-fermented pale ale that London and later Burton brewers shipped to the British in India from the late 1700s. The long, warm voyage conditioned it well, and the name "India Pale Ale" was in common use by the 1830s. It faded in the 20th century, was revived by American craft brewers in the 1970s and 1980s, and has since split into West Coast, double, hazy and other styles.

Brew one: our West Coast IPA, and the hazy Cloud Walker and Chasing Ghosts recipes.

IPA timeline

When	What happened
Late 1700s	George Hodgson's Bow Brewery, near the East India Docks in London, ships a pale, well-hopped "October beer" to India. It arrives in better shape than darker beers.
1820s	Burton-on-Trent brewers, led by Allsopp and Bass, take over much of the India trade. Burton's hard, gypsum-rich water suits crisp, bitter pale ales.
1830s	"India Pale Ale" appears in print and the beer becomes popular at home in Britain too.
1900s	War, taxes on strength and changing tastes weaken British IPA; many become ordinary-strength bitters that keep the name.
Late 1800s–1990s	In the US, Ballantine IPA, strong and heavily hopped, keeps the old style alive.
1975–1983	American craft brewers rediscover hops: Cascade-hopped pale ales appear, and some of the first modern American IPAs follow.
1990s–2000s	West Coast IPA: clear, dry and bitter, with citrus and pine. Double IPA appears in California in the mid-1990s.
2010s	Hazy or New England IPA from Vermont and New England: soft, juicy, low bitterness, huge aroma.
Late 2010s	New twists: brut IPA (bone dry), cold IPA (lager-like and crisp), session IPA and more.

Why is it called India Pale Ale?

Because it was the pale ale sent to India. British officials, merchants and soldiers there wanted beer from home, and the trip around the Cape of Good Hope took four to six months, often through heat. Pale, well-hopped ales survived that trip better than other beers: hops help protect beer from spoilage, and a thorough fermentation left little sugar for bacteria. Brewers in London, then Burton, built a trade around it, and the beer took its name from its destination.

IPA myths that stuck

Myth	What historians have found
IPA was invented all at once for the voyage	It grew out of existing pale ales and October beers that happened to travel well
It was brewed much stronger to survive the trip	Early IPAs were not unusually strong for their time; heavy hopping and full fermentation did the work
The East India Company commissioned it	Brewers sold to the Company's ship captains and merchants; there's no evidence the Company funded a new beer
It was made for soldiers	Soldiers mostly drank porter; pale ale was more of an officers' and merchants' drink

IPA styles today

Style	ABV	IBU	What it tastes like
English IPA	5–7.5%	40–60	Earthy, floral English hops, biscuity malt
West Coast IPA	5.5–7.5%	40–70	Clear, dry, bitter; citrus, pine, resin
Hazy / New England IPA	6–9%	25–60	Soft, juicy, tropical fruit, low perceived bitterness
Double / Imperial IPA	7.5–10%	60–100	Stronger, more hops, still dry
Session IPA	3–5%	40–55	Big hop aroma in a light body
Black IPA	5.5–9%	50–90	Hoppy with light roast, without heavy stout flavour
Brut IPA	6–7.5%	20–30	Bone dry and highly carbonated, like sparkling wine
Cold IPA	6–7.5%	40–60	Brewed with lager yeast warm and some rice or corn; very crisp

More on bitterness numbers in our IBU guide, and on the hazy style in hazy IPA explained.

Brewing a great IPA at home

• Mash low for a dry finish. Around 149 to 152°F keeps West Coast and double IPAs crisp. See our mash temperature chart.
• Do a whirlpool or hop stand. Late hops at 160 to 180°F add aroma without harsh bitterness. A kettle with a whirlpool port, like the DrainPro boil kettle, makes this easy, and in our Tri-Clad kettles a HopBlock filter keeps pounds of hops out of your chiller and fermenter.
• Dry hop without oxygen. Oxygen dulls hop aroma and turns hazy IPAs brown. In a closed stainless fermenter you can dry hop through the top port under a blanket of CO₂; a Unitank also lets you ferment under pressure and transfer to the keg without the beer touching air.
• Drink it fresh. Hop aroma fades within weeks. Keep IPAs cold and serve them young.

Frequently asked questions

What does IPA stand for?

India Pale Ale.

Why is it called India Pale Ale?

Because British brewers shipped this well-hopped pale ale to the British in India from the late 1700s, and the name stuck by the 1830s.

Who invented IPA?

No single brewer. George Hodgson's Bow Brewery in London led the early India trade, and Burton brewers such as Allsopp and Bass made the style famous from the 1820s.

Was IPA really made stronger for the trip to India?

Not much. Historians have found early IPAs were about as strong as other beers of the time. Heavy hopping and a thorough fermentation are what kept them sound.

What's the difference between an IPA and a pale ale?

An IPA is usually stronger and more heavily hopped than a pale ale, with more bitterness and aroma. The line between them is loose.

What's the difference between West Coast and hazy IPA?

West Coast IPA is clear, dry and bitter with citrus and pine. Hazy IPA is cloudy, soft and juicy, with lower perceived bitterness and most of its hops added late or as dry hops.