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54-546: Heady Topper is a double India Pale Ale brewed by The Alchemist primarily in Waterbury, Vermont and in Stowe, Vermont . It is unfiltered and contains 8% ABV . The Alchemist describes Heady Topper as having flavors of orange, tropical fruit, pink grapefruit, pine, and spice. Unpasteurized, it is kept refrigerated by authorized retailers until point of sale. It has been described as "a complex web of genius", and as of August 2018, it

108-576: A French port in order to ensure that there could be no trade with Britain. He also ordered all European nations and French allies to stop trading with Britain, and he threatened Russia with an invasion if they did not comply as well. His orders backfired in the Iberian Peninsula, especially in Portugal (being allied to Britain), setting off the Peninsular War. He pushed Russia too hard, both in terms of

162-618: A brew pub in Waterbury in November 2003, with Heady Topper an occasional offering. After customers began illegally taking Heady Topper offsite, Kimmich began bottling the ale. The Kimmichs started the production brewery in August 2011, and Hurricane Irene destroyed the pub the same month. Despite no marketing effort outside of Vermont, it grew in popularity through personal recommendations and craft beer websites. India Pale Ale India pale ale

216-448: A dozen pint bottles, the same as Guinness Double Stout , 53% more than the 4/3 (21.25p; equivalent to £24) a dozen for those of porter. Some brewers dropped the term "India" in the late 19th century, but records indicated that these "pale ales" retained the features of earlier IPAs. American, Australian, and Canadian brewers manufactured beer with the label IPA before 1900, and records suggest that these beers were similar to English IPA of

270-544: A larger space in Stowe, Vermont on June 30, 2016. The new, larger brewery and retail space opened the same day. However, The Alchemist continues to primarily brew Heady Topper at their Waterbury location. John Kimmich came to Vermont in 1994 to learn the craft beer industry from Greg Noonan . He worked as head brewer at Vermont Pub and Brewery in Burlington, VT ., where he met his future wife, Jen. Together they opened The Alchemist as

324-624: A pale ale festival in 1992 and an IPA festival in 1993, for which Bass brewed a 7.2% beer inspired by Bass Continental, originally brewed for the Belgian market before World War II and based on Bass recipes going back to the 1850s. Dorber and Roger Protz then organised an IPA conference in 1994 at Whitbread's brewery in London, attended by brewers from both sides of the Atlantic. The influence of this meeting persists, for instance Brooklyn Brewery's East India IPA

378-453: A paler beer. One such variety of beer was October beer , a pale well-hopped brew popular among the landed gentry , who brewed it domestically; once brewed it was intended to cellar two years. Among the first brewers known to export beer to India was George Hodgson's Bow Brewery, on the Middlesex - Essex boundary. Its beers became popular among East India Company traders' provisions in

432-584: A regular trade emerged with the key British agents and retailers: Griffiths & Co in Madras; Adam, Skinner and Co. in Bombay and Bruce, Allen & Co. in Calcutta. Early IPAs were only slightly higher in alcohol than other beers brewed then, but more of the wort was fermented, meaning few residual sugars, and they were heavily hopped. While IPAs were formulated to survive long voyages by sea better than other styles of

486-426: Is a hoppy beer style inspired by India pale ale. But unlike IPAs, IPLs are fermented with a lager yeast strain at lower, and hence, colder lager fermentation temperatures. They generally combine a crisp lager finish with amplified hops. Continental System The Continental Blockade ( French : Blocus continental ), or Continental System , was a large-scale embargo by French emperor Napoleon I against

540-659: Is based on the beer that Garrett Oliver took there. In the 21st century, US-influenced IPA is one of the most popular beer styles in the UK. In 2019, Brewdog's Punk IPA was the country's best selling craft beer in the on-trade and Swannay's Muckle IPA won overall craft keg gold in SIBA's Independent Beer Awards. In the late 20th century craft beer revolution in the United States, brewers began seeking out old beer styles that had fallen out of vogue; Ballantine IPA , which had been made in

594-666: The British Empire from 21 November 1806 until 11 April 1814, during the Napoleonic Wars . Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree on 21 November 1806 in response to the naval blockade of the French coasts enacted by the British government on 16 May 1806. The embargo was applied intermittently, ending on 11 April 1814 after Napoleon's first abdication. Aside from subduing Britain, the blockade

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648-456: The British Empire . By the 1960s White Shield had become a cult drink brewed in small quantities for a dedicated following, but it found renewed popularity in the early 1970s when the demand for real ale grew in the UK. The revival of IPA in modern times dates to a seminar on Burton pale ales organised by publican Mark Dorber at his pub, the White Horse, Parson's Green , in 1990. That led to

702-570: The Elbe , issued the Berlin Decree forbidding his allies and conquests from trading with the British. Britain responded with further orders in council issued on 10 January and 11 November 1807. These forbade French trade with Britain, its allies or neutrals, and instructed the Royal Navy to blockade all French and allied ports, and to prevent all shipping whether neutral or not. Napoleon responded again with

756-466: The Luddite movement. The episode seriously hurt France itself. Shipbuilding, and its trades such as rope-making, declined, as did many other industries that relied on overseas markets, such as the linen industries. With few exports and lost profits, many industries were closed down. Southern France, especially the port cities of Marseille and Bordeaux , as well as the city of La Rochelle , suffered from

810-611: The Milan Decree of 1807, declaring that all neutral shipping using British ports or paying British tariffs were to be regarded as British and seized. Napoleon's plan to defeat Britain was to destroy its ability to trade. As an island nation, trade was its most vital lifeline. Napoleon believed that if he could isolate Britain economically, he would be able to invade the nation after its economic collapse. Napoleon decreed that all commercial ships wishing to do business in Europe must first stop at

864-674: The Napoleonic blockade was imposed, and were seeking a new export market for their beer. At the behest of the East India Company, Allsopp 's brewery's chief maltser, Job Goodhead, developed a strongly-hopped pale ale in the style of Hodgson's for export to India. Other Burton brewers, including Bass and Salt and Co , followed Allsopp's lead, taking advantage of Burton water in brewing similar beers. London East End brewer Charrington 's trial shipments of hogsheads of "India Ale" to Madras and Calcutta in 1827 proved successful and

918-483: The Spanish War of Independence occurred simultaneously, and suffered severely in, and ultimately retreated from, Russia in 1812. The British government was the central force in encouraging and financing alliances against France. Napoleon was frustrated in his repeated attempts to defeat Britain. Attacks that involved naval power had all failed, with the systematic defeats of the combined French and Spanish navies. After

972-678: The Third Coalition , refused to comply with French demands and was attacked by Russia in February and by Denmark-Norway in March 1808. At the same time, a French force threatened to invade southern Sweden, but the plan was stopped as the Royal Navy controlled the Danish straits . The Royal Navy set up a base outside the port of Gothenburg in 1808 to simplify operations into the Baltic Sea. The Baltic campaign

1026-454: The British domestic market sometime before then. By World War I, IPA in Britain had diverged into two styles, the premium bottled IPAs of around 1.065 specific gravity and cask-conditioned draught IPAs which were among the weakest beers on the bar. For instance Bass was 1.065 OG and 6.4% ABV, but in 1912 Whitbread's draught IPA was 1.049 and less than 5% ABV, at a time when the average British beer

1080-499: The Continental System in Europe. All connections with Britain were to be cut, even mail. However, there was extensive smuggling, which made the Continental System an ineffective weapon of economic war. There was some damage to British trade, especially in 1808 and 1812, but British control of the oceans led to replacement trade with North and South America, as well as large scale smuggling in Europe particularly from Malta , which

1134-479: The Continental System, and in his demands for control over part of Poland . Napoleon's 1812 invasion of Russia was a disaster which set the stage for his downfall. The Continental System had mixed effects on British trade. The embargo encouraged British merchants to seek out new markets aggressively and to engage in smuggling with continental Europe. Napoleon's exclusively land-based customs enforcers could not stop British smugglers, especially as these operated with

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1188-501: The Continental System, the orders in council threatened to respond with punitive measures. This double threat created a difficult time for neutral nations like the United States. In response to this prohibition, the U.S. government adopted the Embargo Act of 1807 and eventually Macon's Bill Number 2 . This embargo was designed as an economic counterattack to hurt Britain, but it proved even more damaging to American merchants. Together with

1242-693: The European nations under his control, causing inflation and great debt to undermine British strength. His position was strengthened by the Fall of Berlin in October 1806, bringing swathes of Prussia under his control. In November 1806, having recently conquered or allied with every major power on the European continent, Napoleon, in retaliation to the British Order in Council of 17 May 1806 blockading all ports from Brest to

1296-460: The U.S. since 1890 until the 1990s, proved inspirational. The traditional IPA style was well-suited to model the intense flavour and aroma of American hops. Bert Grant of Yakima Brewing and Malting identified that Cascade and Chinook hops, grown locally in Yakima, Washington , provided strong flavours when showcased in an IPA. The boom in popularity for IPA as a style spread down the west coast of

1350-515: The United States, then across the United States and eventually the world. It is estimated that over 40% of craft beer brewed in the United States can be classified as an IPA. As the Oxford Companion to Beer notes: "IPA is now the signature of craft brewers worldwide. Fittingly for an export beer, brewers from Australia to Scandinavia are creating new beers, mostly inspired by the American take on

1404-464: The West Coast variety being especially so. They often have brilliant clarity and are dry with minimal malt character. Being highly hopped, West Coast / American IPAs are typically very bitter, between 40 and 70 IBUs . As such, they commonly taste of resin as well as citrus and tropical fruit from the use of American "C" hops , although these are not the only hops that can be used; often breweries around

1458-483: The connivance of Napoleon's chosen rulers of Spain, Westphalia , and other German states. British exports to the continent fell between 25% and 55% compared to pre-1806 levels. However, trade sharply increased with the rest of the world, covering much of the decline. In response to the Continental System, British orders in council prohibited other countries (that is, its trade partners) from trading with France. If they chose to trade with France or otherwise comply with

1512-454: The country's total trade dropped from 55% to 25% between 1802 and 1806. However, the British economy suffered greatly from 1810 to 1812, especially in terms of high unemployment and inflation. This led to widespread protest and violence, but the middle classes and upper classes strongly supported the government, which used the Yeomanry and militia to suppress the working class unrest, especially

1566-433: The day of release buyers queue around the brewery fence: by lunchtime all the fresh beer's sold". Local establishments, including the brewery itself, have imposed limits to how many four-packs can be purchased per customer. The beer is sometimes referred to as "The Heady" by regular followers of The Alchemist brewery. In November 2013, The Alchemist closed their retail shop citing traffic and public access issues, and moved to

1620-470: The decisive defeat at Trafalgar , Napoleon made no attempt to rebuild his navy. He turned instead to economic warfare, planning to ruin the British economy. It was thought that Britain depended completely upon trade with Europe for its prosperity, so cutting off trade with continental Europe would ruin the British economy and force it to sue for peace. A blockade was impossible because the Royal Navy controlled

1674-516: The early 1990s, but it didn't become popular in the United States until 2009. A crisp, dry IPA, the Brut IPA was invented by Kim Sturdavant, head brewer at San Francisco's Social Kitchen and Brewery. To make a brut IPA, brewers add the enzyme amyloglucosidase to remove sugars. Double IPAs (also referred to as Imperial IPAs) are a stronger, very hoppy variant of IPAs that typically have alcohol content above 7.5% by volume. The term "double" refers to

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1728-443: The era. IPA style beers started being exported to other colonial countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, around this time with many breweries dropping the 'I' in 'IPA' and simply calling them Pale Ales or Export Pales. Kirkstall Brewery and many competitors sent much export beer across the world by steam ship to auction off to wholesalers upon arrival. India pale ale was well known as early as 1815, but gained popularity in

1782-537: The goods were smuggled to the many ports around the Baltic Sea. To further support the convoys, the small Danish island of Anholt was occupied in May 1809. A lighthouse on the island simplified navigation through the Danish straits. Russia also chafed under the embargo, and in 1810 reopened trade with Britain. Russia's withdrawal from the system was a motivating factor behind Napoleon's decision to invade Russia in 1812, which proved

1836-747: The hops, and adjusting the chemistry of the water. New England IPAs do not necessarily need to be brewed in New England. It was officially recognized as a separate beer style, the Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale, by the Brewers Association in 2018. A variation on the style is the milkshake IPA, which adds lactose and occasionally fruit to make a New England IPA more creamy. Triple IPAs are characterized by higher hop flavours and higher alcohol content, with alcohol content usually over 10% ABV . Both American and West Coast IPAs are hop-forward in character, with

1890-601: The increased amount of ingredients used, particularly hops, which results in a beer that is both higher in alcohol and richer in the hop character compared to a standard IPA. The style is claimed to have originated with Vinnie Cilurzo, currently the owner of Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa , California, in 1994 at the now-defunct Blind Pig Brewery in Temecula , California. New England IPA (NEIPA, also referred to as Hazy IPA or Juicy IPA or, less frequently, Vermont IPA)

1944-456: The issues of the impressment of American seamen, and British support for Indian resistance in U.S. colonization, tensions led to a declaration of war by the U.S. in the War of 1812 . This war, not Napoleon's blockade, sharply reduced British trade with the United States. The blockade did not cause significant economic damage to the British, although British exports to the continent as a proportion of

1998-507: The lack of competition from British goods (particularly textiles, which were produced much more cheaply in Britain). In Italy, the agricultural sector flourished; but the Dutch economy, predicated on trade, suffered greatly as a result of the embargo. Napoleon's economic warfare was much to the chagrin of his own brother, King Louis I of Holland . Britain's first response to the Continental System

2052-712: The late 18th century for being two miles up the Lea from the East India Docks , and Hodgson's liberal credit line of 18 months. Ships exported this beer to India, among them his October beer, which benefited exceptionally from conditions of the voyage and was highly regarded among its consumers in India. The brewery came into the control of Hodgson's son early in the next century, Burton breweries lost their export market in Continental Europe, including Scandinavia and Russia, when

2106-440: The lead-up to the 2016 Democratic National Convention , The Atlantic reported that contender Bernie Sanders had "been photographed proudly holding a can of Heady Topper". In an article published by the UK's Esquire , journalist Michael Smith commented about Heady Topper that it was "so in-demand [that] [t]hey don't even get out of the brewery, let alone the country. Brewed in tiny quantities, they excite such hysteria that on

2160-663: The reduction in trade. Moreover, the prices of staple foods rose in most of continental Europe. Napoleon's St. Cloud Decree in July 1810 opened the southwest of France and the Spanish frontier to limited British trade, and reopened French trade to the United States. It was an admission that his blockade had hurt his own economy more than the British. It had also failed to reduce British financial support for its allies. The industrialised north and east of France, and Wallonia (the south of present-day Belgium) saw significantly increased profits due to

2214-574: The sea lanes in the North Sea and Baltic Sea for the British merchant fleet. The island of Heligoland off the west coast of Denmark was occupied in September 1807. This base made it easier for Britain to control trade to North Sea ports and to facilitate smuggling. The attacks against Copenhagen and Heligoland started the Gunboat War against Denmark, which lasted until 1814. Sweden, Britain's ally in

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2268-495: The seas, but if Napoleon controlled the ports of Europe, he could prevent British products from landing. On 16 May 1806, the Royal Navy imposed a naval blockade of the French and French-allied coasts. In turn, Napoleon resorted to economic warfare. Britain was Europe's manufacturing and business center as a result of the Industrial Revolution . Napoleon believed it would be easy to take advantage of an embargo on trade with

2322-400: The style, but often adding a regional twist of their own." Black IPA (also known as Cascadian Dark Ale (CDA) or American Black Ale) is not pale in colour. Black IPAs share the bitter hoppy flavours of other IPAs; however, the use of roasted malts gives them a much darker malty flavour. Greg Noonan of Vermont Pub & Brewery created the first black IPA for sale on draught only in the pub in

2376-523: The time, porter was also successfully shipped to India and California. By the 1860s, India pale ales were widely brewed in England, and they were much more attenuated and hopped than porters and ales. Demand for the export style of pale ale, which had become known as "India pale ale", developed in England around 1840 and India pale ale became a popular product in England. In 1837, Hodgson's IPA typically cost 6/6 (32.5p; equivalent to £37 in 2023 ) for

2430-576: The turning point of the war and his regime. Portugal openly refused to join the Continental System. In 1793, Portugal signed a treaty of mutual assistance with Britain. After the Treaty of Tilsit in July 1807, Napoleon attempted to capture the Portuguese fleet and the House of Braganza , and to occupy the Portuguese ports. He failed, as Prince-regent John VI , acting for his mother, Queen Maria I of Portugal , took

2484-432: The world emulating the style will use local New-World hop varieties, or may use a combination of American and local hops. White IPAs combine the flavours of an American IPA and a Belgian-style wheat beer . Created in collaboration between 2 breweries; Larry Sidor the brewmaster at Oregon-based Deschutes Brewery, and Belgian-born Steven Pauwels, brewmaster at Boulevard Brewing in 2010. India pale lager (IPL) or Cold IPA

2538-467: Was 1.055. Like all British beers, their strength declined during World War I and by 1923 Bass was 1.055 and Whitbread IPA was a bottled beer of 1.036 and 3.7% (compared to their standard X Mild at 1.042 and their draught bitter at 1.042). Greene King IPA (3.7%) and Charles Wells Eagle IPA (3.6%) are examples of IPAs in this tradition. Worthington's White Shield is an example of a historic India Pale Ale, first brewed in 1829 principally for export to

2592-647: Was also intended to establish French industrial and commercial hegemony in Europe. Within the French Empire , the newly acquired territories and client states were subordinate to France itself, as there was a unified market within France (no internal barriers or tariffs) while economic distortions were maintained on the borders of the new territories. The Berlin Decree forbade the import of British goods into any European country allied with or dependent upon France, and it installed

2646-473: Was invented by John Kimmich in 2004 at the Alchemist Brewery in Waterbury, Vermont . Characterized by juicy citrus and floral flavours, with an emphasis on hop aroma with lower bitterness, they also have a smooth consistency or mouthfeel, and a hazy appearance. These characteristics are achieved using a combination of brewing techniques, including the use of particular strains of yeast, the timing of adding

2700-478: Was originally an export beer shipped to India , which was under the control of the British East India Company until 1858. The pale ales of the early 18th century were lightly hopped and quite different from today's pale ales. By the mid-18th century, pale ale was brewed mostly with coke -fired malt, which produced less smoking and roasting of barley in the malting process, and hence produced

2754-425: Was rated the fourth best beer in the world by Beer Advocate . At the beginning of 2013, production was 1,200 cases a week with plans to expand to 1,800 during the following summer. As of 2018, The Alchemist brews 10,000 barrels of Heady Topper per year out of their Waterbury plant. Heady Topper has gained a reputation locally throughout New England, and its reputation has been spread nationally and internationally. In

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2808-583: Was to launch a major naval attack on the weakest link in Napoleon's coalition, Denmark . Although ostensibly neutral, Denmark was under heavy French and Russian pressure to pledge its fleet to Napoleon. London could not take the chance of ignoring the Danish threat. In the Second Battle of Copenhagen in August–September 1807, the Royal Navy bombarded Copenhagen , seized the Danish fleet, and assured control of

2862-421: Was under the command of Vice-admiral James Saumarez . In November 1810 France demanded that Sweden should declare war upon Britain and stop all trade. The result was a phony war between Sweden and Britain . A second navy base was set up on the island of Hanö in the south of Sweden in 1810. These two bases were used to support convoys from Britain to Gothenburg, then through the Danish straits to Hanö. From Hanö

2916-489: Was used by the British to sell their goods to southern Italy . The loss of Britain as a trading partner also hit the economies of France and its allies. Angry governments gained an incentive to ignore the Continental System, which led to the weakening of Napoleon's coalition. As Napoleon realised that extensive trade was going through Spain and Russia , he invaded those two countries. His forces were tied down in Spain, in which

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