Life

Crafty Stuff: IPAs the cool kids in craft beer school

Heather IPA, brewed using water from the Mournes, and infused with Mourne heather
Heather IPA, brewed using water from the Mournes, and infused with Mourne heather Heather IPA, brewed using water from the Mournes, and infused with Mourne heather

IN CRAFT beer school, IPAs are the cool kids. They’ve gone a long way towards giving the modern craft beer movement some hipster clout – whether you consider that a good or bad thing.

It’s a far cry from the drink’s origins in the late 18th century when traditional pale ale was crammed full of hops to preserve it on the long journey from England to East India where it was refreshed the ex-pats who previously diced with death on the local liquor.

India Pale Ale’s popularity eventually went the way of the Raj, but Americans' relatively new-found love of micro-brewing gave birth to a new wave of IPAs. The rich hop harvests of the western US coast in particular saw an explosion in brewers churning out IPAs and brewers like Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada in California became rock stars.

When the craze crossed the Atlantic, Brewdog got in on the action with their Punk IPA. Irish breweries have also taken up that baton of innovation in recent years and knocked out some cracking IPAs.

Heather IPA, made by the Cloughmore Brewery, is a bold twist on a popular style. The ale is brewed, the folks at Cloughmore are keen to point out, using water from the Mourne Mountains, and infused with Mourne heather.

The result is a complex IPA with a lot going on. There’s a spicy and fruity aroma and once you get your mouth around it, an absolute army of hops invades your taste buds – like all good IPAs should. But after the initial assault, there’s the spicy, woody flavour of the heather which gives it a slightly warm, shortbready finish.

Staying in the Mournes, and the Whitewater Brewery’s Hoppehammer is a full-bodied triple-hopped IPA. It’s heavy on the hops, but the bitterness isn’t overpowering. A smooth finish with some delicate fruity flavours.

Beer of the week: Chocolat Chaud (Mourne Mountains Brewery)

If you’re still craving a chocolate kick after Easter, or the kids won’t let you near their Easters eggs, then hunt out this limited edition Belgian chocolate stout by the good people at Mourne Mountains Brewery. Much like the Easter bunny, it’s not sticking round for long so grab a bottle while you can wash down those last few Mini Eggs in style.