Beer and Brewing Books

he following are reviews of beer and brewing books by RateBeer Editor-in-Chief, Joshua Oakes. A small portion of the purchase price, goes toward support of RateBeer.com. We appreciate your purchase! If you have a beer or brewing-related book that you'd like reviewed, please send a copy to our RateBeer editor, Joshua Oakes, (address), British Columbia, CANADA.

essential ˜˜˜˜ | strongly recommended ˜˜˜ | recommended ˜˜ | flawed ˜ | not recommended (no stars)

Cooking With Beer

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More info/purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 1412706297

The theme of this book is "Favorite Brand Name", and indeed brands do pop up in most recipes. The food and recipes are not complicated - most of the coverage is dedicated to standard American pub fare. The emphasis is strong towards old favourites - there is very little in the way of haut cuisine in the book. This may run against the trend in beer cuisine circles these days, but it speaks to the majority of beer drinkers and the large numbers of people who are not great cooks. Simple, easy recipes that incorporate beer into everyday beer food. It's not rocket science, and it's not for serious cooks or serious beer geeks (beers are described in vague terms like "dark beer" or "lager") but it is well-suited for casual beer lovers and novice cooks.

Radical Brewing, by Randy Mosher

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More info/purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 0937381837

First off, it's about time somebody breathed new life into beer books. For a while it seemed that everything had already been done, and the only left was to expand upon existing themes. In a way, Mosher has done that, but in the process he's created a book for the masses - the first great beer book for everyone in a long time.

The book mixes history and homebrewing. Mosher does a wonderful job of researching things like the original of beer styles, lost beer styles, and how to brew lost beer styles. For the non-homebrewer, this research is the key to the book. It offers glimpses into beer's past that most of us have never seen before. People often tend to see beer in today's terms exclusively, but the subject has a rich and ever-changing history. Most beer lovers are aware that the world of beer looked very different five hundred years ago, but reading Radical Brewing it becomes clear that the world of beer 100 years ago was very different from what we know today.

The brewing sections are technical enough to get the job done, but do not overcomplicate things. The most hardcore of homebrewers need not worry about this, though - there is inspiration here for everyone, in the form of recipes for long-lost beer styles and inventive twists on modern ones.

With competent writing, Mosher has created a rare homebrew book with crossover appeal to non-brewing beer geeks, and breathes new life and inspiration into homebrewers at the same time. A must have.

The Cheese Primer, by Stephen Jenkins

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More info/purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 0894807625

You really cannot go wrong with a cheese book subtitled "A World Beyond Brie". That phrase exemplifies the attitude of this perfectly. This is not a wine-and-cheese snob book, but a groundbreaking detailing of the world of cheese by a master in the subject. Jenkins has traveled the cheese world over and it shows in both his research and his anecdotes. The man is an opinion-maker, not a follower. He does not pull punches other. Whether stating that most brie sold in North America isn't worth eating or that supermarket parmesan is "an exercise in gastronomic futility", he's giving you the straight goods. His world coverage is solid - a little weak on Canada but no worse than any other cheese book in that respect. But overall, his work does not have the regional biases that a lot of other cheese books have.

The heart of the book is the region-by-region breakdown, explaining the local cheeses and what makes them special. All the crucial details are explained - the animals, their grazing habits, and the production and aging techniques of the world's greatest cheesemakers. There is no wine bias either - Jenkins is perfectly happy to recommend a beer with cheese, and not in the offhand, generic ("ale" or "dark beer") way that many cheese writers do.

Jenkins is the Michael Jackson of cheese as far as I'm concerned. This is a book that inspires you to visit your nearest cheese shop - now. If you like cheese, you need this book.

The Great Canadian Beer Guide, by Stephen Beaumont

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More info/purchase: Amazon ISBN: 1552782034

This book is essentially a guide listing all the Canadian breweries and their beers. Broken down geographically, the guide gives an explanation of the breweries' history and then gets into the tasting notes. Beaumont has a serious palate and one of the best noses in the business, and it shows in his detailed notes. He traveled extensively in the research of this book to make sure that the beers were fresh when he tasted them. All the breweries open at the time of publication (early 2002) are present and accounted for.

A comprehensive insight into the Canadian brewing scene, the Great Canadian Beer Guide is useful for those with a strong interest in Canadian beer.

Organic Beer Guide, by Roger Protz

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More info/purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 1842225758

The first guide of its kind, the Organic Beer Guide intends to be a comprehensive overview of organic brewing. It begins with a hyperbole-ridden, scaremongering section on the evils of non-organic farming before settling into much better material outlining the issues surrounding the production of organic beer ingredients. This section is great for anyone with an interest in farming, ingredients, or organic issues.

Following this comes the meat of the book - an outline of organic beers with tasting notes. Sadly, the research on this component is weak. England is well-covered, French a little bit (though many of the beers are untasted). Only five US brewers are listed, no Canadian, only a handful of German, one Belgian (he forgot Cantillon!) and despite the fact that a large proportion of organic ingredients come from New Zealand, there are no Kiwi breweries or beers listed either. A great reference for the organic beers of England, but world guides cannot be researched from one's home.

Following the beer guide comes the organic cider guide and organic pub guide. The cider guide outlines, as the beer guide did, the issues that surround the production of organic cider. The inclusion of cider and pubs in this guide is an excellent idea, and speaks to the community spirit of the organic movement.

Overall I like the book. It is one of the more educational works not only with regards to organic beer, but the farming of beer ingredients overall. If you have an interest in matters organic, you need this book. I just hope the next edition is more thoroughly researched in terms of worldwide organic brewing, or is titled the British Organic Beer Guide.

Beer: The Story of the Pint by Martyn Cornell

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More info/purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 0755311655

The Story of the Pint outlines the history of beer brewing in Britain and Ireland from pre-Roman times until today. Subjects include ingredients, techniques, styles, pub, legislation, and the players and companies involved in the business.

The amount of information presented here is staggering. At times the exhaustive research is merely exhausting, as Cornell tries to squeeze in every fact he's uncovered, but this problem works itself out by the later chapters. There are some superfluous chapters at the end of the book and the chronology can be tough to follow as he bounces between decades as though they were days of the week.

But these are quibbles and the book overall is outstanding. I've never seen such a rich presentation of English brewing before. The book outlines the events and players that have shaped the industry throughout its history, and pays special focus to drawing lines between events of decades or centuries ago and how they ultimately result in the drinking scene of today.

The book is an excellent source of knowledge. For example, many of the issues in the British beer industry today were issues one hundred years ago. The style outlines present uncommon ideas and seek to dispel the myth and lore that surrounds the introduction of some of the world's most famous styles. There ought to be books like this for Belgium and Germany.

The amount of research that went into this book makes this a must-read for Anglophiles, lovers of British beer or pubs, members of the style police and everybody with an interest in the history of brewing. One of the best books on the market today.

Country Ales and Breweries by Roger Protz and Steve Sharples

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More info/purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 1841880485

This book from 1999 outlines the rural and small town breweries of England, Scotland and Wales. It begins with the perfunctory chapters on history and beermaking, then quickly moves into a region-by-region guide. Each brewer gets a page and a photo, making this a coffee-table type of book. I'm not much for reviewing photography, but many of the breweries themselves are wonderfully photogenic. They range from rambling Georgian and Victorian brick plants to barns and cottages, and even a couple of brewpubs. Each brewery gets a brief description of its history and beers. As many of these brewers do not export, they don't get a lot of press, so this book is a valuable resource for people interested in small English brewers. It is also worthwhile for students of the English scene, and those interested in small brewing in general. I've long known that my next trip to England will be predominantly focused on the countryside and small towns, and this book has etched that sentiment in stone.

Michael Jackson's Malt Whisky Companion, by Michael Jackson

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More info/purchase: Amazon
The world's most celebrated beer writer is also the world's most celebrated whisky writer. This is his latest book and it is serious business. The fifth edition of the seminal set of whisky-tasting notes offers a terrific introductory section that perfectly exemplifies why single malt scotch is so popular amongst those with a keen sense for flavour and traditional. The parallels to beer are obvious, and Jackson leverages his vast knowledge of both subject matters to draw them frequently.

His concise writing style is one I'm enamoured with. The ability to bring the maximum amount of information with the minimum economy of words while at the same time entertaining and inspiring is the true test of the writer's art. The best chapter is the Flavours section that outlines where the flavours of whisky come from. No singular stretch of words best describes how aficionados of flavourful foods and drinks feel than the following passage:

"Now a new generation of consumers faces a choice between drinks that come from nowhere, taste of nothing much, and have a logo for a name; and drinks that come from somewhere, have complex aromas and flavours, and may have a name that is hard to pronounce.

Such drinks reflect their place of origin. They have evolved. They have a story to tell…they arise from their own terroir."

The bulk of the book is comprised of tasting notes on what seems to be every malt whisky bottling produced in the author's lifetime. The notes are, as always, tight and specific. I must confess to being an Islay whore, but as his beer books appeal to my broad appreciation of the beer world, so too does this book provide a definitive resource for those interested in the full spectrum of malt whiskies.

It has been far too long since the beer world has seen this type of seminal writing. Hopefully that changes soon, but in the meantime, those who also love a wee dram can, no should, put this on their shelves.

The Saké Companion, by John Gauntner

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More info/puchase: Amazon

The Saké Companion is comprised of an introductory section and tasting notes. The introductory section outlines in a straightforward manner the history and production of saké. It includes helpful newbie bits like a chapter on decoding the label, a chapter on saké styles, and explanations of things like why the concept of vintage-dating doesn't apply to saké as it does to most other premium beverages. The structure of the industry is outlined, and the main regions of production are given a few paragraphs of their own. The book is written for the American audience and in that way this section might not hold much appeal for experienced saké veterans. The only thing I really missed from this chapter is a rich understanding of saké's roll in Japanese culture, lore, and landscape. These things came across as rather glossed over, with either the expectation that the reader does not care (wrong, in my case) or perhaps just reflective of the fact that the author does not know that much about the subject. Perhaps a Japanese could have written this section more to my satisfaction, as I would have loved if this aspect were described to the level found in Michael Jackson's Malt Whisky Companion.

Each saké tasted gets its own page. This comes with a label shot and transliteration. Sadly, translations are not universal, a shame since many saké names are rich in poetry. The notes are well-written, concise yet detailed. The overall section helps put the flavours and aromas in perspective, which is absolutely critical for the saké newcomer, to whom many saké must seem very much alike.

While I'm not sure how I'd feel about it if I were a sage saké veteran, as I newcomer I love that not only is it geared for me, but it doesn't dumb anything down either. I certainly can't think of too many beer books that meet that qualification. I think if you've been dipping your toes into saké, this is a great book to help guide you to the next level.

Saké: Water from Heaven by Rocky Aoki

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More info/purchase: Amazon

Rocky Aoki is the founder of the Benihana chain of restaurants, so is in essence an American writer.

His book is not a technical tome by any means. His knowledge of the brewing process is betrayed by more than one passage in this book. But Water from Heaven does what it intends to, and that is bring saké to a less-geeky audience. The explanations of production are economically-worded, and much more time is spent discussing the various aspects of saké enjoyment.

In a chapter called Saké World, he outlines the spread of the beverage to America and tackles the rituals and ceremonies of saké drinking. There are several ratings pages, though that is not the focus of the book. Indeed, scores are not given, just well-written descriptions. He also covers such topics as how to put together a saké tasting, food pairings (with lovely pictures but sadly no recipes) and saké cocktails, with the expected garish colours.

The tone is light-hearted, like the jolly uncle explaining the subject to you, rather than the pedantic brother-in-law. At the same time, he doesn't do what most "laid-back" beer writers do and riddle his book with errors. The research may not be exhaustive but outside of the production aspect seems to be accurate. The writing style is functional, a bit of a drawback in that there is no particular flair nor flow to it.

There are even cartoons at the back to explain the key concepts to you, for easy reference when you're getting down to the bottom of the bottle.

The Big Book o' Beer by Duane Swierczynski

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More info/purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 1931686491

I really wanted to like this book. Proclaimed as an "unabashed, unbridled love letter to beer", it seems at first like the sort of book we really need - something that celebrates beer without being pretentious about it. Indeed, the layout is great, providing an energetic atmosphere. Some of the content is cool, too - talking about things that are a part of unpretentious beer drinking. The trajectory graph on flipping caps into garbage cans is classic. The inclusion of the funnel, beer hat and plastic cups in the glassware section is also amusing, and reflects the realities of beer from the "Joe Sixpack" perspective. I also like the sections detailing "zombie beers" and cheap beers. The problem is, I don't trust what is included in these sections to be true.

Maybe I'm just overly fussy, but the book is riddled with factual errors. The writer is not an experienced beer geek - nor should he be if he wants to write a book like this - but the research is slipshod. The book's target audience may not notice such errors as the claim that Finland only has three breweries (how then did I visit over a dozen of them myself?), that pilsner makes up 90% of the beer sold in the world today (don't get me started), or that Grodzisk still exists. Misspelling things "kriek" and "Sinebrychoff" isn't really the most egregious thing in the world. But on every other page there is some form of inaccuracy, misquote (the famous Frank Zappa one), misspelling or other error. A quick glance at the bibliography and reference section reveals that not one top-flight source was used in the research of this book. It shows.

It's an otherwise likeable book. It's fun, the layout is well-done for a book of this type and it successful conveys an appreciation for all aspects of beer. That latter approach does result in some serious glossing over (homebrewing) and they might have been better off not trying to use a shotgun approach to such a massive subject as beer, but overall it works. But I can't get past the calibre of the research. Telling people things that aren't true does not sit well with me.