India Pale Ale

The two qualities of beer which help to preserve it are its alcohol and hop content.

In the early days of the British colonies in India, the thirsts of the parched Englishmen were quenched with beer transported by ship from England. In order to survive the long voyage, this beer was brewed to have a strong alcohol content (6%-7% ABV) and a high degree of hop bitterness.

Legend has it that a shipful of the brew capsized not far from shore, and that for several weeks the barrels washed ashore and were eagerly collected by the locals, who developed a taste for the brew and created a demand for a particularly 'bitter beer' - which is still the most popular ale in English pubs.

In America, some brewers of the style like to introduce some oak character; but while brewers should be free to brew beer to whatever specification they fancy, it is unlikely that the original brew picked up any flavour from the barrels as they were almost definitely lined with brewer's pitch, a fairly inert sealant used by coopers.