We get asked "what does IPA actually stand for?" most weeks on the Beer Mile tour, usually somewhere around the second taproom, glass of something hazy and orange in hand. It's a fair question — IPA is easily the most talked-about style in modern craft beer, and also one of the most misunderstood. Here's the honest answer: what the letters mean, where the style actually came from, the different types you'll meet in London taprooms, and where to try them for yourself.
What does IPA stand for?
IPA stands for India Pale Ale. That's it — no hidden meaning, no marketing invention. It's a style of pale ale, historically associated with beer brewed in Britain and shipped out to British colonists in India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The name has stuck for well over two hundred years, even though today's IPA — hazy, tropical and often brewed a five-minute walk from where you're drinking it — has drifted a long way from its export-beer origins.
A (very) short history of IPA
The popular story goes that British brewers loaded their pale ales with extra hops and higher alcohol specifically to survive the long sea voyage to India, since hops act as a natural preservative and stronger beer travels better. The truth is a bit messier — well-hopped pale ales already existed in Britain, and brewers such as George Hodgson of Bow were simply shipping a robust, well-hopped style that happened to survive the journey particularly well and became popular with expats. Either way, "India Pale Ale" became the name for a distinctly hoppy, higher-strength pale ale, and it stuck.
The style nearly disappeared through the 20th century as British brewing shifted towards milder, less hoppy beers. It was American craft brewers in the 1980s and 90s — inspired by the old British style but using bold, citrussy New World hops like Cascade and Centennial — who revived IPA and turned it into the beer that effectively launched the modern craft beer movement. Everything that's happened on London's brewing scene since, including the breweries along the Bermondsey Beer Mile, owes something to that revival.
What actually makes an IPA an IPA?
Strip away the history and an IPA is defined by a handful of practical things:
- Hops, and plenty of them. Hops provide bitterness, aroma and flavour — think citrus, pine, tropical fruit or floral notes depending on the variety. IPAs use noticeably more than a standard pale ale or lager.
- Higher bitterness. Bitterness is measured in IBUs (International Bitterness Units). A standard lager might sit around 10-20 IBU; a classic IPA is usually 40-70+.
- Above-average strength. Most IPAs sit between 5.5% and 7.5% ABV, stronger than a typical session lager or bitter, though session IPAs (more on those below) buck that trend deliberately.
- A malt backbone built to support the hops. There's still malt sweetness underneath — it's there to carry the hop character, not compete with it.
The main IPA styles you'll meet in London
"IPA" now covers a genuinely wide family of beers. These are the ones you'll see most often on London taproom boards:
- West Coast IPA. The original American revival style — clear, gold-to-amber, assertively bitter, with piney and citrus hop character. Built to bite.
- New England IPA (NEIPA) / hazy IPA. Cloudy, soft on the palate, and dialled towards juicy, tropical hop flavour rather than sharp bitterness. This is the style that's dominated London's newer breweries over the past decade, and it's often the one that wins over lager drinkers who think they "don't like IPA".
- Session IPA. A lower-strength IPA, typically 3.5-4.5% ABV, that keeps plenty of hop aroma and flavour without the full-strength ABV — a smart choice if you're pacing yourself across an afternoon.
- Double / Imperial IPA. Bigger on every axis — more malt, more hops, more alcohol, often 8% ABV and up. Sip, don't session.
- Black IPA. Dark, roasted malt colour and flavour, but still brewed with the big citrussy hop character of an IPA rather than the more restrained hopping of a stout or porter.
Our area-by-area guide to London's best breweries is a good next stop if you want to know which neighbourhoods lean towards which of these styles.
IPA vs lager vs pale ale — what's actually different?
Lager and IPA are both incredibly popular but sit at opposite ends of the flavour spectrum. Lager is brewed with cold-fermenting yeast at low temperatures, which produces a clean, crisp, less fruity beer — hops are usually there for balance rather than to dominate. IPA is an ale, brewed warmer with top-fermenting yeast, and the hops are the whole point. A standard pale ale is IPA's closer cousin: same ale family, but usually less hopped, less bitter and lower in strength. Think of IPA as pale ale turned up several notches.
How bitter is too bitter? Understanding IBU
IBU numbers look scientific but bitterness is really about balance, not just the raw figure. A West Coast IPA at 65 IBU can taste sharply bitter because there's little malt sweetness to soften it. A hazy NEIPA can carry a similar or even higher IBU count but taste far gentler, because the oats, wheat and residual sugar in the recipe round the edges off. If you've tried an IPA and found it harsh, it's worth trying a hazy style before writing off the whole category — the difference in mouthfeel is bigger than most people expect.
Where to taste real IPAs in London
Reading about hop varieties only gets you so far — IPA is a style you need to taste side by side to really understand. The Bermondsey Beer Mile is about as good a classroom as exists in the country for this: independent breweries in a tight cluster of railway arches, several of them known specifically for their hop-forward beers, each with their own house take on IPA. Our guided Bermondsey Beer Tasting Tour runs 2–3.5 hours, visits four taprooms with a beer included at every stop, and meets at Southwark Brewing Co, 46 Druid St. We've been running it since 2014, and walking a West Coast IPA at one arch into a hazy NEIPA two doors down is exactly the kind of comparison that makes the style click. If you'd rather explore properly before you commit to a style, our beginner's guide to beer tasting in London covers how to taste methodically, and the Ultimate Bermondsey Beer Mile Guide breaks down every brewery on the route.
Food pairing with IPA
IPA's bitterness and citrus character make it a genuinely useful food beer. Spicy food is the classic pairing — the hop bitterness stands up to chilli heat rather than being flattened by it, so curries and Mexican food both work well. Strong, hard cheeses hold their own against a hoppy IPA too, and the citrus notes cut nicely through anything fried or fatty. A soft, juicy NEIPA is more forgiving and pairs well with lighter dishes where a West Coast IPA might overpower.
A few tasting tips from our guides
- Drink IPA fresh. Hop aroma fades fastest of any beer character, so hazy and West Coast IPAs are usually at their best within a few weeks of the can or keg date, not months.
- Use a proper glass where you can. A tulip or wide-bowled glass concentrates the aroma far better than drinking straight from the can.
- Don't judge the whole style on one bad pint. If a harsh West Coast IPA put you off, a soft NEIPA might change your mind entirely — the family is broader than people assume.
- Pace yourself. Standard IPAs are stronger than most session beers; alternate with water and food if you're trying several in an afternoon.
Ready to taste for yourself?
The fastest way to actually understand what makes an IPA an IPA is to taste several, one after another, with someone who can point out what's different in each glass. That's what a guided afternoon on the Beer Mile is for — four taprooms, six different takes on hops, and a local guide talking you through it as you go. It's also a brilliant group day out; we host private tours for groups of 6 to 60+, and gift vouchers are delivered instantly by email if you know someone who'd love it.