OnTap Magazine

MASH OUT Not many beers get a whole day in their honour, but there’s just something special about the India Pale Ale and we wanted to know what it was, so we asked our readers what makes IPA so special to them. ROB HEYNS Founder of League of Beers, Cape Town It has its own mythical origin story, much like a super hero. It has so much versatility in its full flavour that it seems to have new offspring every year. It expresses the best of beer; the malt sweet body, the amber hues, the dry and crisp, refreshing finish, the subtle booziness. But most of all, this is the beer that brings to the fore the beautiful spice that is unique to beer: hops, with their flavours and aromas from pine to pineapple to rose to resin to spice to mango to apricot to passion fruit to grapefruit and lemon and on and on. JULIAN PIENAAR Co-Founder and head brewer of At Hops End and Just Brewing, Johannesburg IPA Day is a special day for all brewers as the IPA is the fine balance between malt and of course lots of hops. The aromatic punch of the hop aroma in balance with the bitterness gives you a lovable IPA. My favourite is our Cray Cray IPA. We use seven different hop editions and two dry hops. PAUL GROENEWALD Homebrewer, Stellenbosch For me growing up in SAB lager country, I can still remember my first IPA. It was a Skeleton Coast from Jack Black and soon after I got introduced to King's Blockhouse from Devil’s Peak. What I like about the IPA is that it challenges your taste buds. That first whiff of spring before your first sip, and then the hit of bitterness followed by the aroma of fruit. A good IPA will have just enough malt backbone to carry the bitterness, and although the alcohol might be on the high side, it should be balanced so that you don't realise that you are drinking a 6.5% beer. JACKIE VAN TONDER Owner of The Ale House, Broederstroom There’s just something about the style. I think the best IPA I’ve ever had was Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing when I visited the brewery in California. The balance between fruity and bitterness is spot on. I don’t have many hopheads coming to visit at The Ale House and IPA is definitely not our best seller but it’s satisfying to put a smile on someone’s face when they’re on a quest for hoppiness. LETHU TSHABANGU Owner and brewer at Ukhamba Beerworks, Cape Town I will say that when I first tried IPA I didn’t like it, but I started brewing it and once I got it right I knew that beer was going to be a part of my life forever. The hops, the bitterness, the perfect harmony of flavours – it’s like a good song! ROCHELLE DUNLOP Brewer at Crafty Chameleon, Nairobi I really love brewing them because there’s no creative limit on an IPA – brut, NEIPA, black, white, brown, red or a great old- school West Coast version. CHARLIE MURRAY Owner of Charlie’s Garage and IPA Day disciple, Cape Town They are diverse, big, bold, bitter, balanced and full of flavour and aroma. Everyone should have the opportunity to give them a try. A fine IPA can be judged by one sip, but I prefer to make sure… THE FIRST THURSDAY INAUGUST IS CELEBRATEDBY THEGLOBALBEER COMMUNITY AS IPADAY. 72 | Winter 2022 | ontapmag.co.za