It denotes that a beer is more highly hopped and has a higher alcohol content than standard version of that beer.
It comes from a time when the English would export, hoppier, stronger stouts to Russian Imperials.
Beers were high gravity and hopped higher to survive the long sea voyage to the troops in India (not Russia). India was part of the British Empire at the time. Shipping standard beer in wooden kegs resulted in a lot of it turning to Vinegar.
elkdog, I agree that in the modern sense, it just means a bigger, stronger, hoppier beer. I think it should be reserved for use in the more traditional sense (Imperial stout) and we should use 'double' and 'triple' for most of the stuff we brew, but to each his own. Imperial just sounds better, you have to admit.
I think it's getting used too much these days. Sorry, but an "Imperial Mild?' Give me a break.
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