India Pale Ale or IPA descends from the earliest pale ales of the 17th century. Demand for the export style of pale ale, which had become known as "India Pale Ale". Some brewers dropped the term "India" in the late 19th century, but records indicated that these "pale ales" retained the features of earlier IPA.
Nowadays, India Pale Ale refers to aggressively hopped golden ale.
For more details and beers please see category: Hops.