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Style explorer: American Pale Ale
We look at a style that kicked off a craft beer revolution
Joseph Lavoie
November 22, 2022
Good morning!
Today we bring you the second in our monthly series in which we explore a beer style. Last month we went deep on Czech Pilsner, which has become our most popular issue yet. Missed it? You can read it here.
This month we explore the style that kicked off the craft beer revolution. Today, we take big bold hop flavours for granted, but this is a relatively new invention in the long history of beer styles. Before the IPAs, we had flavourful American pale ales.
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— Joseph Lavoie
American Pale Ale
What to expect
If there is a source of truth on what the perfect American pale ale looks and tastes like, turn to Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale. It's not always easy to find in BC, but if you travel across the border or keep an eye out for it, it's not impossible to get your hands on. It's worth the effort—it remains a classic beer long after it kicked off the craft beer revolution. You can also sense check for the style by using this beer as your default taste profile for the style.
The sensory experience
Appearance: An American Pale Ale should pour a pale golden to light amber colour, and is generally very clear, although it's perfectly fine for dry-hopped versions to have some haze. It is not, however, a hazy style.
Aroma: Hops shine in this style from the moment you put your nose to the glass. You should get moderate or strong hop aroma from American or New World hop varieties. It's these varieties that bring so much citrus, pine, floral, resin, and tropical fruit aromas and flavours to the style. Regardless of what you pick up, or what the brewer intended, hops should be very apparent in the aroma. A traditional version of the style may also have slight malt aromas of caramel, biscuit, and bread.
Flavour: Everything you pick up in the nose will carry over to the flavours. Those New World hops will delight you with a range of possible flavours like citrus, pine, floral, resin, spice, tropical fruit, stone fruit, berry, and melon. If the brewer is leaning into an old-school version of this style, you'll also get small amounts of bread, toast, and biscuit which may present as light caramel, in a restrained way. Either way, the malt flavours support the hops, yielding a nice bitterness and a medium to dry finish.
Mouthfeel: The carbonation should be moderate to high, with a medium body that feels smooth. No harshness, and no astringency.
⚖️ How does this compare to an American IPA? The two styles can often feel one and the same, and that's because brewers have long blurred the lines between them. In general, other than the obvious difference of ABV (IPAs being stronger than pale ales), American IPA turns everything up a notch. More hops, more bitterness, more colour range, and more intensity. Here's a quick cheat sheet on the difference.
🌿 It's in the hops: Today we have no shortage of hoppy beers with a wide range of flavours. If we take this for granted, we can thank the advent of the American Pale Ale. This style became popular because it came at a time when mass-produced lagers reigned supreme and hops only served to bitter the beer lightly to make a safe, mostly flavourless product that wouldn't offend the masses. When the new American pale ales came to market, they were bold, super flavourful, and showcased a side of hops that no one had seen before: citrus deliciousness.
🌟Meet the style's icon
We've already gushed about the classic, but let us gush some more because if there was a Craft Beer Hall of Fame, this beer would be one if its inaugural inductees. Let us make the case:
Do you love a bitter beer? As we noted earlier, when most beers on the market had an IBU of maybe 5-7, Sierra Nevada sent shockwaves through the system with 38 IBUs. That might not seem like much today, but that's only because our palates change with time. In 1980, 38 IBUs felt incredible hoppy and bracingly bitter. Over the years, brewers would push hop bitterness to the edge, but Sierra Nevada is the original IBU bad boy. And as our tastes have evolved to the opposite end (think juicy IPAs) and are now making a return to balance, Sierra Nevada seems as relevant today as it did in the 1980s.
Do you love hops? We talk about Cascade hops today like it's practically a default ingredient in any tropical, citrus-forward beer, but it was originally a reject. Bred in the 1950s to handle the moist growing conditions of the Pacific Northwest, it went nowhere until Coors gave it a try in the 1970s. The hops were too strong for Coors' liking and they passed. It took Anchor Brewing and Sierra Nevada to use this hop in generous amounts to put New World hops on the map. And we know what happened after that...
Do you love a refreshing beer you can come to again and again? It's pretty tough to get tired of this beer. It might be the original hoppy session beer. It remains incredibly refreshing on the hottest of days, and comforting on the coldest of days. It's no wonder pretty much every brewery has a version of this beer in their lineup.
Food pairings
It might seem tough to pair such a flavourful style with food. Won't the citrus, floral, and resin notes conflict with the food? Not necessarily. Just look for flavours that complement or enhance those flavours.
🌮 This style works so well with Mexican flavours, especially if the dishes have been enhanced with cilantro and lime. Those flavours bounce off the citrus in the beer, while beans and avocado cut the bitterness. Combined, it's a match made in heaven.
It can also work well with burgers and roast meats, especially if they are served with a complementary condiment like a garlic aioli, herbs, and pepper.
BC American Pale Ales worth enjoying
This being such a popular style, there is no shortage of good options. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but if you wanted to (re)discover this style, you can't go wrong by starting with these three.
1. Russell Brewing Pale Ale
Sometimes you just want a reliable pale ale with the right balance between bright hop notes and an underlying caramel malt backbone. This one does the trick. Dark gold colour with a decent head, rich malt and light citrus aromas entice you to take the next sip. Wonderful first wave of flavours. Sweet citrus turns to light bitterness turns to bitter citrus. Clean fermentation profile. Finishes clean. Dependable.
2. Yellow Dog Alpha Dog
This wet harvest pale ale is absolutely delightful. Gorgeous light copper colour, fresh wet hop aromas bursting at the rim. Wonderfully hoppy with a solid malt backbone, making it exceptionally drinkable. This is what a harvest ale should taste like. The citra shines differently here.
3. Camp Beer Co. Limitless Vistas
Unfortunately, this is not in Camp Beer Co.'s flagship lineup, but if/when it makes a return, you'll want to make a trip to the brewery to taste this delicious beer. It pours a beautifully clear amber colour. Juicy and resinous aromas with hints of apricot and pear makes for an enticing first impression. Sweet malt notes on first contact give way to tropical hop flavours. Pear-like flavours evolve in the finish, which leans on the bitter side.
Explore this style further
The Beer Judge Certification Program Style Guide for American Pale Ale
Advanced Cicerone Em Sauter's illustrated guide to the difference between APA and IPA.
John Holl's Ode to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
The Oxford Companion to Beer's American Pale Ale guide.
NEW BEERS
Kickoff the World Cup with these new beers
Last week breweries released more than 17 different beers. Among them:
Dageraad's Irresolution IPA
Four Winds' bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout
Parkside's mango lychee fruit beer.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Patina Brewing is hosting a mindful beer tasting yoga class monthly on Saturdays. The next sessions are on December 17, January 28, February 18, and March 11.
Neighbourhood Brewing is hosting Paints and Pints on November 22, 7pm-9pm. Each ticket includes a 16x20 canvas of your own work of art and 2x 12oz beers!
Abby Ales is hosting country night on November 25, and you're asked to show up in your best cowboy country clothing.
Smuggler's Trail presents a Christmas Night Market on November 25 from 5pm-10pm
Strange Fellows is hosting its 8th annual Beard and Moustache challenge on November 25 from 8pm-10pm.
Driftwood is putting on another beer dinner with Rock Bay Market, on December 7. Limited tickets available.