1914 Historic WWI London IPA

A World at War

As World War I loomed, the robust IPA fell out of favour. Economic hardship, war rationing, and changing palates led to the rise of mild ales and lagers. Samuel Allsopp’s great-grandson, Percy, made an ambitious pivot to lager but the project ended in disaster, putting him out of business.

By 1914, India Pale Ale stood at a turning point. Once a strong, heavily hopped export beer, it had gradually softened over the late nineteenth century as tastes shifted and the demands of empire changed. Advances in shipping meant beer no longer needed to endure months at sea, and the rise of lighter, more sessionable ales reshaped what drinkers expected from a pint.

Then came the First World War. Brewing was immediately constrained by grain shortages, rising taxes, and government controls. Original gravities fell, alcohol levels dropped, and even the proud IPAs of Burton became leaner, simpler beers. What had once been a robust export style was now a more restrained, everyday pale ale.

Yet something of its character remained: a firm bitterness, a dry finish, and a clarity of purpose rooted in its past.

Our 1914 IPA reflects this moment of transition. It’s lighter in strength, but still carrying the crisp, structured bitterness of a style shaped by a century of change.

IPA would nearly disappear during the 20th century until it was reinvented during the craft beer boom of the 1990s and 2000s.

Availability: Seasonal

Release date: Late August to early October

First produced: 2024

Alc/vol. 4.9%