Posted November 21, 2018
The IPA is perhaps the most popular style of craft beer. It is a staple of many craft breweries and comes in many different flavors and variants. The IPA is fun to experiment with and create seasonal offerings, using a variety of hops and ingredients. Our flagship IPA, Big Red’s India Pale Ale was first introduced in September of 1995 and has been a fan favorite ever since. Brewed with Citra and Amarillo hops, the Big Red is bold and bursting with citrus hop flavor and aroma that are reminiscent of grapefruit. It is brewed to be 6.2% ABV and 65 IBUs, allowing for a smooth and welcoming hoppy beer.
A beer as unique as the IPA would of course have an interesting past. The story goes that the IPA was first brewed in the late 18th century by George Hodgson, amongst other British brewers. The idea behind the India Pale Ale came not from a creative place, rather necessity. In partnership with the East India Co., ales were being shipped from Britain to India, but going bad during the long journey. To help the beer stay fresher while traversing the high seas, brewers began crafting a style of beer that was brewed with more hops to act as preservatives during shipment. Maybe this is all true, or maybe the British just wanted an excuse to brew stronger beer. In a world full of light lagers, the IPA is a welcome addition to any restaurant or bar tap list.
While we don’t send our IPA on long journeys overseas, we still brew it with plenty of hops, so it stays fresh while traveling from tap to table. It’s won plenty of medals, as well as the hearts of many beer lovers. You’ve drank plenty of imitators and copycats, but there is only one Big Red’s IPA.