December 4, 1994
Blackwatch IPA Is First Brewed at Vermont Pub & Brewery
On December 4, 1994, assistant brewer Glenn Walter brewed the first batch of Blackwatch IPA at the Vermont Pub & Brewery in Burlington, Vermont. Walter developed the recipe with brewery founder Greg Noonan’s approval and guidance. The dark, intensely hopped beer became an important early example in the development of modern American Black IPA. John Kimmich brewed Blackwatch again in November 1995 and later drew on it for El Jefe at The Alchemist. Its influence continued through Shaun Hill’s Darkside and Mitch Steele’s work at Stone Brewing. Black IPA gained wider popularity in the Pacific Northwest and Southern California during the 2000s, combining American IPA’s pronounced hop character with dark malts while seeking to keep heavy roasted flavors in check.
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Sources
These sources support the dating and historical claims in this entry.
Jack Curtin. "‘Black and Bitter,’ — True Origins of Black IPA." Ale Street News, August 5, 2010. Reports brewing records supplied by Vermont Pub & Brewery co-owner Steven Polewacyk and interviews Glenn Walter, John Kimmich, Shaun Hill, and Mitch Steele. Archived October 19, 2011.
Smuttynose Brewing Company. "Smuttynose Short Batch #12: Noonan." Smuttynose Brewers Notes, July 15, 2011. Corroborates the December 4, 1994 brewing date and credits Greg Noonan and Glenn Walter.
Jonny Garrett. "Darkest Before the Dawn — The Unlikely Return of Black IPA." Good Beer Hunting, April 6, 2021. Interviews John Kimmich and Mitch Steele and traces the Vermont brewing lineage and its later influence.
Beer Judge Certification Program. "2021 Beer Style Guidelines: 21B. Specialty IPA: Black IPA." Style characteristics and later popularity in the Pacific Northwest and Southern California; gives the less precise origin date "around 1990."
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