Strata IPA

By the 1790’s the British were established in India and needed beer, which was considered a staple in every household. India, however, presented serious problems for brewers. Hot temperatures, poor water and short supplies of basic ingredients made it impossible to brew beer. Attempts to ship beer out of Britain to Calcutta failed. 

George Hodgson of London produced a pale ale of greater strength and bitterness than those he sold in London. The hops helped protect the beer from spoilage, as did the increased alcohol content. Hodgson’s India Ale arrived in Calcutta in fine shape-clear, strong, and bitter, with a big, resinous hop aroma.  The word spread of India Pale Ale and people throughout England and the United States were clamoring for this wonderful new beer. The rage lasted through 1970’s, but lost steam in the 1980’s and became just another name for low alcohol bitters. 

As craft beer has emerged and grown, so has IPA! IPA has helped grow Craft Beer to what it is currently today. There are now many shapes and forms of IPA, but they all share bright aromatic hop aroma of citrus, tropical fruit, and pine.

Our Strata IPA showcases a new Pacific Northwest favored hop - Strata. Strata, formally known as X-331, is the first hop variety to be released out of Indie hops hop development program. Born in 2009, Strata is the progeny of an open pollinated Perle located at an Oregon State University experimental field in Corvallis, Oregon. From the get-go, this hop was out to impress. Between its strong disease resistance, vigorous growing habit, and complex layers of aroma, x331 rose to the top of an impressive group of competitors. Strata boasts flavors of tropical fruit, fresh fruit, grapefruit, and cannabis.