What’s the Difference Between a Pale Ale and IPA?

The Brews and BBQ Festival, presented by Stop & Shop, returns to the Ives Concert Park in Danbury on Saturday!

Enjoy some delicious BBQ, tasty craft beer, and awesome live music as well!

Some of the beer featured will be Pale Ales and IPAs, but what is the main difference between the two??

According to TSM Albany, there is quite the difference between the two, originating from the tastes, first and foremost.

A Pale Ale was originally a term used to describe a beer that was lighter in color from the other two or three beers on tap in the pub. Old English pubs had maybe three beers on tap, not 30, back in the day. Pale ale was perhaps the Bud/Coors of the era, although by today’s standards those two are very different. A pale ale has to do with the flavor and balance of the hops. Generally, you want them to be the main taste, but also still taste the malt, which balances out the overall flavor. Pale ale tends to be a bit sweeter and crisp as well.

An IPA, which stands for India Pale Ale, is much more hoppy. IPA came about because ships sailing around the horn of Africa would end up with plenty of spoiled beer by the time they got to India and Europe. Hops are a natural preservative, so more of it will preserve beer for a longer period. With more hops comes a higher alcohol content too, which gives it a stronger bitter taste than an pale ale.

So there you go!  Come and check out some craft beer, including Pale Ale's and IPA's at the 2nd Annual Brews and BBQ Festival on Saturday. Buy your tickets online for $15 and your first beer is on us. Otherwise it's $20 at the door.

Buy your tickets at: brewsandbbqfestival.com