La graja IPA

La Graja IPA is a pale and sparkling ale style beer, with three aromatic American hops, following the recipe of the India Pale Ale (IPA), a type of beer that was sent in the past to the colonies of the British Empire, especially to India, and which had to withstand long voyages and extreme temperatures in perfect condition. Once again, the name of the rook, the emblematic animal of the island of La Palma, is used on the label to baptise this new beer.

La Graja IPA retains the main characteristics of the IPA beer: high fermentation, pale colour and a higher hop content. Although it has opted to follow the American reinterpretation (American IPA), using more aggressive and citric American hops than the British ones, which makes it a rough, strong, resistant beer, characterised by its bitterness, a medium alcohol content and intense aromas of tropical and citric fruits. This new variety aims to convey the rawness of the long voyages from London to India, the ferocity of a raging ocean – a sea that also surrounds our islands – through an IPA with a “Canarian style”, which softens the original bitterness, but still challenges the consumer and his palate.

Graja IPA goes very well with seasoned or spicy dishes, and with fatty foods such as fried or battered foods. It can also be paired with all kinds of grilled or barbecued meats.

A bit of IPA history

The English settled in India at the end of the 18th century. There the colonists encountered a problem: they could not meet the demands of their troops and civilians, who demanded to be supplied with beer. To reach India, English ships sailed from London, rounded the entire continent of Africa and rounded the Cape of Good Hope. The long voyages, the extreme temperatures and the lack of refrigeration and pasteurisation meant that English beer became stale, sour and mouldy. It was George Hodgson who solved this problem by increasing the alcohol content and adding more hops, which have antiseptic and preservative properties. This resulted in a much more bitter, alcoholic and sparkling Pale Ale, resistant to long journeys and storage in India. Over the years, American brewers would also begin to brew IPA beer, which is now one of the most widely produced craft styles in the world.