A whiter shade of pale (India Pale Ale)

In the first of a new series, Roger Protz looks at the history of India Pale Ale

Is it fanciful to describe a beer style as “revolutionary”?

In the case of India Pale Ale, which transformed brewing on a world scale and paved the way for golden pilsners, the answer must be an emphatic yes.

Until the advent of IPA, all beers, even the first lager beers, were dark brown in colour. IPA was truly pale and too many modern interpretations of the style, due to the use of coloured malts, are darker than the original versions.

India Pale Ale marked a profound change in brewing practice. It also changed drinkers’ perceptions of beer. In place of dark and murky beers, it became possible to enjoy ale that had a tempting bronze colour and was clear, sparkling, hoppy and marvellously quenching. The arrival of massproduced glass that replaced leather and pewter tankards added to the appeal of the first pale beers.

The dominant types of beer in Britain at the turn of the 19th century were mild, porter and stout, all brown or even jet-black in colour. The colour of malt stemmed from the system of kilning or gently roasting malt. Until the industrial revolution, wood was the fuel used in malt kilns. It was difficult to control and frequently flared. The result was brown and often scorched and smoky malt. Coal was not a satisfactory replacement as it gave off noxious gases when burnt. But once coke – coal without the gases – was introduced, it was possible for maltsters, with a clean and controllable heat source, to make pale malt.

Brewers immediately saw the advantages.....

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By Roger Protz

Section : Beer Styles

Page number : 62