Jono Crute, head brewer at Crew Brewing -innovation brewhouse in Limerick city—separates conventional wisdom from cool science when it comes to brewing great Indian pale ale. Proper technique is the key.
Hit any bar or brewery, and the tap lines are likely dominated by IPAs. Despite its chart-topping dominance, the IPA is massively misunderstood, with myths and misconceptions lingering like a triple IPA’s bitter bite. How can one of the country’s most popular drinks be so misconstrued? Let’s start with the definition: IPA stands for India pale ale, a construct as loose as XXXL sweatpants. IPA is essentially shorthand for any brew with more hops than the average beer.
As IPA brewing has become more widespread in craft brewing over the past few years, brewers have looked to the past to decipher the mysteries of IPA and the traditional methods used to produce it.