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IPA proved success can be bitter sweet
They used to say 'the sun never sets on the British Empire.' Being a superpower means having a lot of troops and with that comes a big thirst, especially in places like India. In 1750, the thirst-quenching beverage of choice was, you guessed it, beer. Unfortunately beer couldn't handle the long boat trip south, through the Atlantic Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, and then north, through the Indian Ocean to Calcutta. With no refrigeration or pasteurization, beer and other perishable goods were just pleasant memories of home. Ironically, the popular beer of the day, porter, named after the dock workers of London, showed up on India's docks sour, flat, and undrinkable.
London brewer George Hodgson knew that hops had anticeptic qualities because of its acidity. He played around with his popular pale ale recipe, adding more and more hops. The sample barrels he sent to India were a success. The style of beer, although extremely bitter, turned out to not only be palateable, but was deemed tasty. The demand for Hodgson's India Pale Ale and others like it grew exponentially not only in India, but in the new world as well.
India Pale Ale is a favorite in European and American markets of today. Almost every micro-brewery has their version of this classic brew. IPAs malty flavors work well as a canvas for the floral, exotic perfume of the hops and the complimentary bitterness. Pale Ales are not for the light beer drinking crowd because of this prominent bitterness. If you like things that are extreme an IPA just might be your cup of tea.
Try these IPAs: imports: Fullers and McEwan's-domestics: Stone Ruination, Descutes, Snake River-New Delhi Freight Train, Bridgeport, and Avery.
Articles are property of Brenda Francis and are not to be reproduced in any way without written consent from Brenda Francis.
Alvarinho
The Portuguese call alvarinho the 'Queen' of all Portuguese white grapes. A title well deserved for this elegant wine. It is lush with creamy flavors of apricots and peaches and complimented by a marriage of white flowers and minerals. This exotic and perfume-like grape grows in a few obscure areas of Spain and Portugal exclusively. The Spanish call it albariņo. The northern area of Portugal is known for old vines that are 50, 60, and 70+ years old.
Alvarinho (ahl-vah-ree-nho) is a small berried, low yielding grape with a thick skin that is difficult to vinify. When pressed, alvarinho offers small amounts of juice compared to other varieties. For these producers, showcasing alvarinho's luscious quality is more important than following market trends. They are not swayed by the popularity of other varietals and resist the urge to pull up their sluggish old vines for high yield mainstream grapes. Their steadfast devotion to this frustrating, yet superior varietal, is paying off; alvarinho has a small but growing following here in the U.S.
It is believed that alvarinho was brought to the Iberian Peninsula by monks on a religious pilgrimage from France in the twelfth century. Others believe that it evolved from Riesling and was brought to the area by German monks. A third camp believes that alvarinho is an indigenous grape. Regardless of where it came from, its elegant presence has been cherished for hundreds of years.
Its acidity offers a wonderful balance to its freshly sliced peach and apricot flavors. If it has undergone malolactic fermentation, the wine can be drunk while young. If it has not undergone malolactic fermentation the wine can age for a few years developing a floral canvas of flavors. Alvarinho is a wonderful example of the extraordinary and exotic wines that wait for us if we just choose to look for them.
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