“Imperial” is a common term on craft beer labels. But what does it actually mean?
What exactly separates an imperial stout from a regular stout? Is an imperial IPA superior to its prefix-less equivalents?
To get to the bottom of this one we need to look back to 1800s Russia. Back then, British brewers were the beer pioneers and their handiwork was attracting interest from around the world, even the Russian imperial court.
To impress the Czars and help ensure their beer survived the journey to Russia, the brewmasters loaded up their beer, usually stout, with more malt and hops. The result was a high-alcohol elixir (8–12% ABV) that went down rather well when facing sub-zero temperatures and the rising risk of revolution.
The age of craft beer imperialism continues
Towards the end of the 1800s, the term caught on elsewhere. Across the pond, American brewers started using “imperial” to describe the best beers in their offering. These were paler beers than those being swigged simultaneously in Siberia, but with the same high alcohol content.
As it turned out, the use of the term “imperial” on beer labels significantly outlived the Russian empire, and remains a common beer descriptor to this day. If your beer is “imperial” it likely features twice, or even three times as much malt and hops as a non-imperial version and consequently more alcohol. You’ll also see the terms “double” or “triple” (e.g., double IPA) used for much the same thing.
In short, imperial means amped-up ale, with big flavours and a boozy kick big enough to help you through a Siberian winter. Just don’t try to build an empire after you’ve had few. It probably won’t end well…
Examples of great imperial craft beers:
- Speedway Stout – Bourbon Barrel Aged: Vietnamese Coffee, AleSmith Brewing Company, California, USA
- Pliny the Elder (and Pliny the Younger) from Russian River Brewing Co., California, USA
- Brown Paper Bag imperial pils from To Øl, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 90 Minute Imperial IPA from Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, USA
- Original Texas Pecan Ice Cream Imperial Porter, Collaboration between Omnipollo, Stockholm, Sweden and Buxton Brewery, Derbyshire, England (Brewed by Buxton)
- Ruination IPA from Stone Brewing, California, USA
- Ohio Unidragon Russian Imperial Stout from Clown Shoes Beer, Massachusetts, USA (Pictured, courtesy of Another Pint Please).