Whew -- Even when one sells beer, which is not really like work, I mean, it's not like I am digging ditches or writing computer code or balancing budgets or anything . . . Sometimes it is still a long day. So, when I have a long day, I like a beer that is refreshing but also just a LITTLE higher in alcohol . . . like an IPA!
Everybody (well, most everybody) has heard why India Pale Ales are so called. When India was part of the British Isles, and barrels of beer were transported by ship from Britain to India, some smart person discovered that adding extra hops to the beer acted as a preservative, so the beer stayed fresh for the long voyage. I just read the other day that the good Czech folks who had been adding hops to their lagers and pilsners taught the Brits this trick. So, an India Pale Ale is typically higher in hops than a regular Pale Ale. Also, even though this style was originally English, an English IPA tends to have a softer, milder, peppery hop character, where an American IPA usually is more citrusy and floral. American IPA's tend to be much, much more bitter. It's the American Way! If some bitterness is good, it is even better if it rips a bitter hole in your gut!
Anyway, I LOVE IPA's. For a long time, it was my favorite style, and sometimes it still is. For better or worse, there will be a lot of them on this blog. An absolutely delicious example of the style is GREAT LAKES COMMODORE PERRY IPA, named after the hero of the war of 1812. At 7.5 percent, it is a perfect beer to close out a hard day. It is citrusy, not as spicy as some American IPA's, but a nice gentle-but-pronounced hop finish. I had this beer in my car, and looked forward to it all day.
And now, I am going to watch some reality television.
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