National IPA Day: No, it Doesn’t Stand for ‘International Puppy Appreciation’
Aug. 4 is National IPA Day. Drink up, hopheads. Courtesy of Lagunitas Brewing Co.
If I’ve noticed anything from being a beer drinker and beer writer over the past decade-plus, it’s that there seem to be two types of people: Those who love IPAs, and those who hate IPAs. And while it remains one of the most popular beer styles in the U.S., it also is a no-chance proposition for many drinkers. It’s sort of like the alcoholic version of cilantro, the polarizing herb often found stuffed into street-style tacos.
Aug. 4 is National IPA Day, so some people will celebrate while others will drink a seltzer and look the other way. In honor of the holiday, The Lagunitas Brewing Co, which knows its way around an IPA, conducted an informal survey. While it wasn’t extensive or particularly revealing, there were a few fun tidbits.
For one, as a testament to the IPA’s enduring popularity with some, nearly 1 in 4 beer drinkers (23%) who were surveyed consider themselves an “IPA lover.” I can relate to these folks. And then there were some of the other beer drinkers who participated in the survey.
Per the Lagunitas survey, more than one in five of beer drinkers age 21+ (22%) admit they are “IPA virgins” — i.e., have never even tried an IPA. Maybe National IPA Day is the time to break that streak, folks? Because, dang.
But my favorite result of the survey was that nearly 3 out of 4 Americans age 21+ (71%) don’t know what IPA stands for. A full 37% of the respondents wouldn’t even offer a guess, instead saying they would have to Google it. And 5% of beer drinkers think it stands for International Puppy Appreciation. Um, what? (It stands for “India Pale Ale” in case you’re in that latter group.)
The short version of where the IPA style originated is to go back to the 1800s, when British brewers began exporting their beers to India. Many of them were highly-hopped, which helped make them stand up to the long periods at sea. The style became popular in England and in India, and it stuck around, finally finding a modern audience with the craft beer boom.
IPA remains a staple in my beer diet, as does the classic APA (American Pale Ale) — suffice to say that I believe Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale to be the perfect beer. Of course, I’ve had my share of Lagunitas IPA, but whenever possible I look to drink local, such as my favorite Louisville IPA by Monnik Beer Company and the always-tasty Appollo IPA by Apocalypse Brew Works.
Bottom line? Come Thursday, let’s get bitter.
