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Imperial IPA

Style of the month - Imperial IPA

Double down on bold flavour with an Imperial IPA, a style of beer made by brewers who firmly reject any ideas about less being more and, instead, embrace the “more is more” philosophy. More hops, more malt and more flavour—these are all the things that make the Imperial the perfect pick for anyone who’s ever looked at a standard ale and said “Is that all you got?”

Ready to explore?

What makes an IPA “Imperial”? For starters, the recipe calls for twice as much hops as you’d find in most IPAs, which is why this style of beer is also known as a “Double IPA.” Whatever you want to call it, this bold and malt-forward beer is a relatively new style, thought to have first been brewed in southern California in the mid-1990s, when a brewer decided to dial up the flavour in his favourite ale. Take care, though, an Imperial is also stronger than your average beer, with most expressions clocking in at somewhere between 7 to 12 percent ABV. 

You may taste

Although many people think more hops automatically make a beer more bitter, hops aren’t a one-trick pony. When you taste (or smell) citrus, herbs, pine or even tropical fruit in a beer, that’s usually the hops talking. And, since Imperial IPAs are usually full of rich malt, the intense, sometimes sharp, notes that the hops add to the mix are usually balanced out by a hint of sweet caramel. Since hops come in a lot of different shades, each Imperial is a fresh experience. You can always count on one thing though—it’s bound to be intense. 

Sip them with

Even though they’re full of unique character, IPAs play well off a remarkable number of dishes, from fried foods to all things chocolate. They’re famously delicious with spicy dishes that most people find challenging to pair with so, the next time you’re stuck for something to serve with a Malaysian curry or some Thai street food, look to an Imperial for answers. And nobody ever went wrong pairing this beer with a plate of tacos.

Serving tips

Whether it’s full of rosemary, grapefruit or pine resin notes, you won’t be able to taste the complexity of an Imperial IPA if you drink it too cold. So pull it from the fridge a little in advance and let it warm up on the counter until it’s about 12 degrees Celsius. Then pour it into a tulip glass to savour everything it’s got to offer. Which, usually, is a lot. 


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Beer FAQs

Your Top Questions Answered

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What is craft beer?

Craft beer is made by small-scale breweries, often independently owned, that practise traditional artisanal brewing techniques to create authentic and uniquely flavourful beers. These craft brewers may focus on either classic or lesser-known styles of traditional beer, or create innovative new modern brews. 

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How many calories are in a beer?

A standard 340-millilitre or 12-ounce beer that has five per cent alcohol by volume has about 150 calories. Styles of beer that contain more alcohol, such as IPAs, have more calories — up to 170. Light beers, which have less alcohol, have around 100 calories. While darker beers sometimes have a higher alcohol content and therefore more calories, that’s not always the case: consider Guinness Draught, a dark stout, which has just over four per cent alcohol by volume and 125 calories per 12 ounces. 

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How many beers are in a keg?

Most standard North American kegs hold 58.7 litres: in terms of standard 340-millilitre or 12-ounce bottles or cans, that’s 165 servings; if you’re counting by 16-ounce pints, its 124 servings. European beers often come in 50-litre kegs, yielding 140 340-millilitre glasses or 105 pints. Smaller 30-litre kegs (sometimes called “pony kegs”) give 82 standard beers or 62 pints. Mini-kegs (Heineken, for example) hold five litres: that’s about 10 pints or 14 glasses. 

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How is beer made?

All beer is made with four key ingredients: barley (or other grains), water, hops and yeast. First, barley is malted (meaning the grains are sprouted and then kiln-dried) to get ready for brewing. The malt is then mashed, or cooked with warm water, to create a sugary liquid called wort. The wort is boiled with flavouring hops, and then in the final step, it’s fermented with yeast, which creates the alcohol and finished beer.

There are many different styles and regional traditions of brewing, but to simplify, they basically fall into two categories: for ale, the beer is stored at room temperature while the yeast feeds on the sugar in the wort and produces CO2 and alcohol as by-products; for lager, fermentation is the same, but it happens at cooler temperatures so the process takes a little longer

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How long does beer last?

Check for an expiry or best-before date on bottles and cans: “best” is best when consumed fresh. Bottles and cans stored at room temperature are safe to drink for at least four months after purchase and up to eight months when it’s stored in the refrigerator or a cool place. Draft or craft beer stored in a glass bottle keeps for two or three days in the refrigerator when tightly capped. And remember, keep beer away from light: it can develop a “skunky” flavour from a chemical reaction to UV light, which is why it’s usually packaged in cans or dark glass bottles.

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What is beer made of?

Most beer is made from just barley, water, hops and yeast. That’s all! Each ingredient contributes to the beer’s flavour, as do the specifics of the production process. Some brewers may use other grains, such as corn, rye, rice, wheat or even oats, to produce different types of beer. Some styles even incorporate additional flavouring ingredients, including fruits and herbs.