It's National IPA Day!

According to no less of an authority than the Internet, today, August 4, is National IPA Day.  What is National IPA Day? Who started it? Why is it August 4?  I didn’t really know, so I did some investigating, hoping to find an official IPA Day website. No dice. This was the best I could find:

“International #IPADay is a grassroots movement to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers, and brewers worldwide through social media. On Thursday August 4th, craft beer drinkers across the social sphere and across the globe will raise pints in a collective toast to one of craft beer’s most iconic styles: the India Pale Ale. This celebrated style represents the pinnacle of brewing innovation with its broad spectrum of diverse brands, subcategories, and regional flavor variations – making it the perfect style to galvanize craft beer’s social voice.

#IPADay is opportunity for breweries, bloggers, businesses and consumers to connect and share their love of craft beer. Getting involved is easy; the only requirements are an appreciation for great beer and the will to spread the word. Anyone can participate by enjoying IPA with friends, making some noise online with the #IPADay hashtag, and showing the world that craft beer is more than a trend!”

So, there you have it – IPA day is nothing more than a celebration of a classic style of beer. You remember your IPA history, don’t you? In the 1700s, Britain had many soldiers and colonists living in India. Due to malts and other raw ingredients spoiling on the long journey overseas, these poor souls were left without any of their good homeland ale. As a result, brewers created a higher alcohol beer with lots of hops (a natural preservative) that could handle the trek to India. Just like that, the IPA was born.

If you’re a fan of IPAs, crack one open tonight and throw a tweet or status update up about it. Here’s what I’ve got in the ol’ inventory:

Dogfish 60 Minute IPA
New England Sea Hag IPA
Sebago Full Throttle Double IPA
Ryan’s Homebrewed IPA (Secret ingredient: love)

Kyle’s Fridge:

Sebago Full Throttle Double IPA
Dogfish Head Burton Baton Imperial IPA
Breckenridge Lucky U IPA
Kyle’s Homebrewed IPA (Secret ingredient: hate)

Happy IPA Day!

Cheers,
Ryan