IPA means India Pale Ale
IPA is a beer style that was first mentioned in a newspaper in England, in 1835. Before that, it was called Pale Ale (Pale Ale as prepared for India was before). England had many overseas colonies and all the beer for the English soldiers was brought with ships to the other side of the world. The trip took too long and just beer would not have stayed well. By adding more hops, the beer continued to last longer, as a result of which the export beer was bitterer and higher in alcohol content. This resulted in the term India Ale in the 18th century. In the Netherlands more and more the Double IPA (DIPA) is brewed, also known as Imperial India Pale Ale (IIPA) and is stronger and hoppiger than Pale Ale. These beers have a high content of malt and hops, and an alcohol percentage of at least 7%.