IPA Tourism on California’s Central Coast by Ruth Paget
I have enjoyed reading about travelers who visit whisky distilleries in Scotland in magazine articles over the years and was inspired to put together similar information about IPA (India Pale Ale) tourism on California’s Central Coast for people who live in this region or who visit from outside the area.
The following breweries produce IPA and some have brewpubs where you can enjoy an assortment of IPAs and food that pairs well with this bitter brew:
-Alvarado Street Brewery (Salinas and Monterey)
-Other Brother Brewery (Seaside)
-Peter B’s (Monterey)
-Firestone Walker (Paso Robles)
-Solvang Brewery Company (Solvang)
A little farther away from the Central Coast are the historic breweries below:
-Anchor Steam Brewery (San Francisco)
-Sierra Nevada (Chico)
I referred to the book IPA: A Legend In Our Own Time by Roger Protz for information on the IPA production, history, and a listing of some of the world’s most famous IPA brands and their products.
IPA is characterized by its bitter flavor from hops. Californian producers primarily use hops from the following states:
-Washington State (Yakima Valley)
-Oregon (Willamette Valley)
-Idaho (Treasure Valley and Kootenai Valley)
IPA has its origins in Pale Ale that was drunk in the English countryside by aristocrats in the 17th and 18th centuries to avoid importing French wines during times of warfare with France. In the 19th century,
George Hodgson began shipping pale ale to England’s colony in India giving rise to the India Pale Ale style and trade. Ships with India Pale Ale went to India and came back laden with tea, spices, silk, and other luxury goods for English aristocrats.
(Three generations of Hodgsons organized and popularized the trade in India Pale Ale (George, Mark, and Frederick). This information is of interest to me personally. One of my great-grandmothers was a Hodgson, who may be a cousin of George Hodgson, who organized the IPA trade. There is a detailed history along with paintings and photographs of the Hodgson Brewery in the book by Protz.)
To finish up with IPA tourism based in California’s Central Coast, I would suggest trying the following dishes that highlight food products from the Central Coast:
-fish and chips made with Pacific rock cod and organic potatoes from the Salinas Valley. I also like to order a creamy coleslaw to go with the fish and chips, if it is available.
-Swiss cheese and mushroom topped burgers and fries made with Point Reyes cheese and mushrooms from Monterey County or Oregon
-a simple BLT made with thick-cut, hickory smoked bacon from San Benito County with organic lettuce and tomato and mustard-mayonnaise and fries
-pizza made with spent grain from beer-making and spicy pepperoni
-Reuben sandwiches made with corned beer, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing on marbled rye bread (From the East Coast sandwich tradition, but tastes very good with IPAs)
Have fun IPA tasting on California’s Central Coast!
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games
