When browsing for craft beer, you might come across some terms that you’re a bit unsure of; you might know that you like the taste of an IPA, a stout, or a pilsner, but what does any of that actually mean? No fear, today we’re going to explain a few of those terms and give you a little history, so you can chat about beer with the best of them.
Let’s start with an IPA:
It’s common knowledge that this stands for India Pale Ale, a hoppy style beer within the pale ale category. However, did you know that this style of beer didn’t actually originate in India, but was actually first brewed in England in the nineteenth century? IPA was the answer to providing beer for the British Empire in the east as it was too hot to brew in India, so the beer had to survive an incredible six month journey from Britain intact.
In the 1780s, a London brewer sent out a beer named October ale that would usually be aged before drinking; on its arrival, the beer was found to have actually improved, and so October ale became the prototype IPA. Over time, the beer became paler and more refreshing to suit the Indian climate. In the 1970s, Americans began recreating forgotten British styles, such as IPA, and IPA soon returned across the Atlantic to Britain, providing us with wonderful ales packed full of hops and alcohol.
Now on to pilsners:
A pilsner is a type of pale lager, taking its name from the city of Pilsen (the original Pilsner Urquell is still produced there today!). In 1838, the town’s brewmasters rolled barrels of ale into the street, spilling the beer into the main square and river after deciding that the ale had become undrinkable.
Bavarian brewer Josef Groll was hired to teach the brewers of Pilsen the German method of brewing. Groll used light barley and generous portions of Saaz hops in his brew that proved to be a beer unlike anyone had ever seen. Pilsner beer was born. Since then, Pilsner Urquell has become one of the most imitated beers in history, to the point that the brand name Pilsner was adopted as the name of the style.
And finally, a little about stouts:
A stout as we know it today is a dark, top-fermented beer, made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water, and yeast. However, traditionally, a stout was the generic term for the strongest or thickest beers. Sweet milk stouts were popular in Britain following the First World War, but their popularity declined towards the end of the 20th century. Luckily, stout is making a comeback thanks to new products from craft breweries. Today, Guinness is probably the most well-loved stout, though it’s definitely worth giving a craft stout a try.