Exploring the IPA’s History (& Europe’s roads) with MTPNYC

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This is a guest post from my mate C.J. who writes for the MTPNYC Blog.

MTPNYC are passionate about craft beer – almost as much as my sponsors, Innis & Gunn, who make the fine IPA I am currently hitchhiking across Europe with.

Like a lot of Aussies, I have an intense relationship with beer, but I don’t know much about it. I wanted to educate myself a bit about the history of the noble IPA, so I asked MTPNYC if they would help me out.
They did me proud.

Thanks C.J.!
Now when I crack a cold IPA, I can feel knowledgeable as well as jolly!

Cheers! :-)
 

The year is 1827. Imagine yourself as a British foot soldier, sweltering in the heat of the British controlled territory of India.
You don’t mind so much; the pay is good, and a few promotions may net you some land back in England to raise a family.
You’re a simple man and you don’t ask for much. Three square meals a day, a cot to lay your head at night and the comradery of your fellow soldiers is all you need to keep you content. Well, maybe all that plus a half decent beer.

See, back in 1827, a good beer in India was impossible to come by. The Indian climate is borderline tropical, and the high levels of heat and humidity make brewing a beer a feat that not many men attempted. Sure, the East India Company was bringing in your favorite British teas to keep your spirits high, but the porter style beers that the British were exporting rarely kept during the voyage. It took just under six months to sail from the British Isles to India, and the standard porter usually wouldn’t hold. The porters would arrive stale, infected, turned, separated; much different from the sweet syrupy brew that was enjoyed back home. The soldiers wanted beer, and represented a demand in the market. Luckily for them, the East India Company specialized in satisfying market demands. For them the problem was simple, there was a large group of people who wanted a product in a part of the world where that product wasn’t available.

Together with some legendary brewers, the East India Company procured what would later become one of America’s greatest brews.

The East India Company (EIC) decided to give the business to their supplier of porters, George Hodgson of Bow Brewery. Hodgson had been working with the EIC to ship porters to India, and he secured this business because he offered the EIC an 18-month credit. You see, the EIC made almost no money on the departing trip to India. The margins on the British goods being sold in India were very slim. On the return however, the ships were filled port to starboard with spices, precious metals and other valuable commodities. The 18-month credit meant that the EIC could take Hodgson’s beer for no cost up front, ship it to India, and pay him back once the ship returned and the EIC had made a killing selling rare Indian cargos. This was the lucrative business deal helped spark the IPA, because when the EIC tells you they need a new style of beer to sell, you just don’t leave that money on that table.

Hodgson had been trying for years to get his porter to keep. They tried to ferment it upon arrival in India, but the humid climate was not conducive to British yeast. They tried an early variation of beer concentrate, where the beer would be diluted once it arrived in India, but this also created a substandard product. So Hodgson pitched a new idea: rather than shipping porter, why not ship a derivative of his high-end recipe, “October beer”.
Now when you hear October beer you’re probably thinking of some sort of dark Oktoberfest style beer similar to what we have today. That is not even close to what Hodgson was making. In mid-1800’s Britain, October beer was closer to a style of pale ale and barley wine. It was brewed for more refined and wealthy individuals and was typically fermented strongly, using pale malts and aged for many years. There are anecdotes of rich lords brewing a batch of “October beer” for the birth of a son, then cracking the cask on this 18th birthday. This beer was furiously hopped and typically exploded with rich, bitter flavors. The ale was modified to suite a less refined palate and to age on the way to India. It was clear that what Hodgson was brewing now was no longer his “October beer”, but a pale ale made especially for India. This ale shipped much better than the standard porter, and Hodgson’s brew was celebrated by the British in India.

It did not take long for larger breweries to catch on. The style of beer became a popular export because of its ability to survive long voyages. Some appreciated the strong hoppy flavors, others just like having fresh beer available far away from home.
Nevertheless, the wheels of time turn on, and the IPA style was killed by modern advances in refrigeration. There was no longer a need for the heartiness of an IPA because breweries were now able to ship any style of fresh beer globally. It wasn’t until the late 1970’s that the style was rekindled by curious American brewers.

You know the rest of the story: the west-coast brewers began developing juicy hop-bomb IPAs and east-coast brewers took the malt-heavy and spiced approach to the brew. Now you can’t walk into a bar without seeing a variety of IPAs being offered. So there you go; the most popular style of American beer came into fruition because of some thirsty Brits in India.

Manny is getting the opportunity to re-live this voyage in a sense. From Edinburgh to Delhi, Manny will march his way, stocked with IPAs that need to be delivered. Hitchhiking your way from Scotland to India is pretty incredible, but reliving a little bit of history is even cooler. Good luck and safe travels to you Manny, may your trip be blessed with many kind strangers and some fantastic conversations around a great IPA.
 

>> MTPNYC are a group of guys from the New York area who believe in good stories shared over a few drinks.
Their blog features articles about daring adventures + quality beers.
Check ’em out!

 

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