American Pale Ale Beer (APA) evolved from the classic English Pale Ales, basically a cleaner and crisper version of a Pale Ale that utilizes American hops, malts, and yeasts. These first came to market in the late 1970’s to early 1980’s when American craft brewers started to put their spin on Pale Ales. Anchor Brewery and New Albion Brewery were two of the first to brew in this style, showcasing the bitter American hop characteristics. APA is a highly hopped style that became one of the most popular of the time. When this beer style was created it marked the beginning of the American craft brewing movement that continues today. Before APAs and after prohibition, the choices of beer on the market were all pretty much the same, light lagers. …show more content…
The malts can be quite considerable, but the hoppy bitterness in the aroma and flavors dominate overall, followed by a smooth bitter finish. American Pale Ale can have common characteristics with American Amber Ale and American India Pale Ale, but the (AAA) usually is maltier and darker with more caramel malt characteristics, while the (APA) is cleaner, crisper, more fragrant and hoppier, and the (AIPA) is loaded with hops all around, has higher IBUs, and higher alcohol by volume (ABV).
ABV: 4.5-6.5%. Final Gravity: 1.010-1.015. Food and Beer Pairings: Oven baked pizzas and grilled or smoked meats. Glassware: Lager, Shaker, or Tulip. Hops: Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Columbus Horizon, Palisade, Mt. Hood, Liberty, Simcoe, and/or Warrior. IBUs: 20-50. Malts: American two-row, Biscuit, Caramel, Crystal, Pale, Munich, and/or small amounts of Roasted. Original Gravity: 1.045-1.060. Serving Temperature: 45-50F. SRM (Standard Reference Method): 5-14. Water: Low in carbonates and should be relatively high in calcium. Yeast: American ale