Mercator @ 18/4/2016 17:01

I don't get the american love for IPA's, they're mediocre at best.

AGREED! They're easily my least favorite type of beer

I don't know enough about beer to understand what an IPA is or why they are good or bad. I'm curious though

IPA = India Pale Ale. It's one of the more bitter types of beers

i like bitter stuff tho

i like dark chocolate and black coffee, and IPAs!

Samuel Adams is my first choice, pretty much any of the varieties but in the summer Porch Rocker is the best. I also like Great Lakes Christmas Ale, it's so pricey though.

If not beer then it's usually margaritas, long islands or shooters..

Mercator @ 18/4/2016 17:01

I don't get the american love for IPA's, they're mediocre at best.

There is actually a huge amount of variety even in IPAs. If you don't like the bitterness, then it won't be a style for you. But for those who do like it, the hops have a lot of different character, from the herbal qualities of Brit-style hops (like Kent Goldings) to the citrus fruitiness, piney bite, and grassy character of different hops. I'm a big imperial IPA fan (tends to be extra hoppy and usually 9%+ ABV) and a few places do single hop series where the beer is exactly the same except that they change the hop used, so you get a chance to taste how different the flavor of the hops are.

Not everyone is a bitter fan, though.

-dr @ 18/4/2016 18:36

I don't know enough about beer to understand what an IPA is or why they are good or bad. I'm curious though

The base style derives from its origin as a way for Brit sailors to have "drinkable" water on long voyages, such as trips to India. The hops in the beer are a type of preservative, so adding additional hops made it so they beer would not foul up on a long trip. It used "pale" barley malt originally, so it was a pale ale. The India stuff just made sense.

In similar fashion, quinine tonic was used by imperial Brits in India and elsewhere as a malaria prevention, the bitterness of the quinine also helping as a preservative as well. They mixed it with gin to make it "easier" to drink and the gin and tonic was born, thus tying two threads of this discussion together. ;)

Later lesson: The origin of the use of "imperial" to denote a stronger version of a beer.

Oh man, good history lesson. If you're interested in beverages crossing over with history I would recommend the book "A History of the World in 6 Glasses". My professor for World History only assigned that book as the book for his course. It was really interesting and a fun read.

I got a 6 pack of Yum Yum from 3 Floyds Brewing Co. I think the brewery is Indiana so that's pretty dope. It was a little pricey, but it is pretty tasty

3 Floyds is great, but we don't get it here in the DC area, so I have to rely on what gets sent to me by friends. Their Dark Lord imperial stout is legendary.

And today's drinking history lesson, as promised:

The Origin of the Term Imperial to Denote a Stronger Version of a Beer

It is pretty common to see imperial tacked onto a style nowadays to denote a stronger "amped up" version of a normal beer. The most common to see are imperial stouts and imperial IPAs, but there are imperial pilsners, red ales, porters, wheat beers, and pretty much everything under the sun.

Originally, there was only one style that had this title: the imperial stout (or, more properly, the Russian imperial stout). To get to the origin, we have to back up a little and talk about stouts themselves, which are actually a form of porter. So we get to back up even further to learn "what is a porter?"

A porter is a darker beer, typically made by roasting the malt, which produces a richer flavor. They are also often hopped a bit stronger, making them more towards the bitter end (though this is not necessary for the style). The style itself was historically made at the brewery and delivered "ready to drink", unlike many pale ales, which required they mature in the cask at the pub/bar. The name supposedly derives from the fact that it was popular with many dock workers or "porters" as they were called.

There are a few different versions of porter, one of which is stronger and darker of roast, which came to be known as a "stout porter", eventually losing the extra moniker and becoming just a "stout".

A particular stout was brewed by Thrale's brewery in London for the Russian imperial court of Catherine the Great- the style was stronger than the typical stout at around 9% ABV and above compared to 6% or below for most common stouts and porters. The extra alcohol was popular for helping "warm" courtiers during the cold Russian winters. After Thrale's changed hands a few times, the name of the beer officially became known as a Russian Imperial Stout. This style was brought to craft brewing primarily in the late 80s and early 90s, with flagship brands in the us like North Coast's Old Rasputin RIS.

In the 90s, Russian imperial stouts became a bit more popular in craft brewing- the style reminded many of the types of unusual "import" beers that were drunk by beer geeks at the time. At the same time, craft brewers were experimenting with stronger version of the india pale ale, with higher ABVs and more hops added into the process, making a more bitter and more alcoholic brew. Some started adding a "double" onto the front of the style (double IPA) while others adopted the "imperial" moniker from the RIS. Imperial has now become the more recognized way to denote the stronger version of a particular style.

Now I want a porter but all I have is some ipas and Golden Monkey

Golden Monkey is tasty. Have you had the wine barrel aged versions?

No! I wanna!