Beer Styles

What is an IPA? The abbreviation stands for India Pale Ale, a pale, heavily hopped ale. The style originated in early 19th-century England as an export beer that found particular success in India. In the US, it became its own, much hoppier style: the American IPA.

Kalamazoo provides the best-known example of this. Bell's Two Hearted Ale takes its name from the Two Hearted River on the Upper Peninsula and is brewed year-round at Bell's. How much alcohol does Two Hearted have? According to the brewery, 7 percent ABV. It smells of grapefruit and pine, tastes bitter, and finishes dry.

Founders in Grand Rapids builds the counterpart. The All Day IPA, according to the brewery, is deliberately light at 4.7 percent ABV, a so-called session IPA you can drink in good company without being overwhelmed. The main difference from a Pale Ale lies in the hops — the IPA is hopped more heavily and is more bitter.

The second defining style is the Imperial Stout. Stout originally just meant "strong," from "Stout Porter," a robust London porter. How strong is an Imperial Stout? It ranges from 8 to 12 percent ABV, tastes of roasted coffee, chocolate, and dark fruit, and is as thick as syrup. Founders turned KBS into a cult favorite. That these styles come from two different cities fits: one is a crisp thirst-quencher with bite, the other a beer for a slow sip on a winter evening.