In this episode we go international for the first time ever by welcoming Nick Smith from Steam Machine Brewing in County Durham for an in-depth look at the birth and evolution of the India Pale Ale. In the first of a two-part episode we explore the history of the IPA from its inception up through the 1980s. As a lifelong resident of the UK and an amateur beer historian, Nick provides a wonderful perspective on the birth and evolution of the IPA in its homeland - starting from it's origins as a refined tipple for the British Raj up through its long, slow decline in the 20th century.