Objective: To receive a traditional style India Pale Ale similar to the style being brewed and shipped to India DURING THE LATE 18TH century. The brewing process, the recipe, and the environment of which the ale will age will all be similar to the process used by English brewers during this time period.

Announcement: IPA's are popular in the Northwest as a lot of our palates yearn for that hop profile only found in these bitter ales. Brewer's know the history of this ale and recreate their own derivations using modern processes, ingredients and conditioning practices. IPA was founded on the basis of brewing an ale that could last the long voyage from England to India and still arrive fresh, 4 months later.

A Brief History: In the mid to late 18th century English brewers saw a huge market potential in the East Indies for distribution of their fine ales to the English troops and an increasing number of English civilians. In the first few attempts these darker style ales would arrive in India musty and sour due to the long sea voyage. A wine merchant by the name of Kenton came up with the idea of uncorking these ales, allowing them to go flat and then re-corking them right before shipping. This process added a sort of second carbonation briskness to the ale from being shook up in the hulls of the ships. Two problems still existed at this point. The first problem was the beer still had little to no shelf life after the voyage, and second the dark ales of England were not so desirable in the heat of India.

Along came an idea from George Hodgson a brewer at the Bow Brewery in East London. Hodgson took hi popular English pale ale, increased the alcohol content and the hop profile, dry hopped the heck out of it and added more sugar than usual to the wood casks before shipping. These factors acting together would allow the beer to maintain its quality during the 4 month voyage from England to India and was drink ably preferred in the Indian heat.

Intent: The Raccoon Lodge & Brew Pub is launching a traditional IPA reenactment. This specially brewed IPA will begin in our brew house and be conditioned in oak barrels much like the barrels used to store the beer during its rigorous 3-4 month voyage from England to India. The Raccoon Den will feature storyboards and maps of the 4 month voyage form start to finish. Every month the "Hinny" ship will reach a port of call where one of the 4 oak barrels will be tapped to taste the beer at different points of its voyage.

On June 15th, after the 4month voyage to India, the final barrel will be tapped and inspected by the official tasters whose evaluations could deny the beer entry into India. If accepted, the beer will then reach the masses in India for consumption.

Taken with permission from an e-mail by Ron Gansberg, head brewer and "Chief Imagineer" of Raccoon Lodge Brewery