America’s craft brewing industry has been in rapid expansion mode for the past few years. We can all name dozens and dozens of amazing craft beers that spawned during these years and most of us take these products for granted. Equally praiseworthy, however, are the incredible people that established the breweries, formulated the recipes, and keep the breweries operational each day. In this book, Locally Brewed: Portraits of Craft Breweries from America’s Heartland, author Anna Blessing brings you, the reader, up close and personal to the people who manage these brewing operations and keep the suds flowing.
Meet the Breweries
Locally Brewed is a book about the people who work so hard, day in and day out, to bring fresh craft beer to the masses. This 191- page book features twenty different Midwest breweries:
- August Schell Brewing Company
- Bell’s Brewery
- Lakefront Brewery
- Great Lakes Brewing Company
- New Glarus Brewing Company
- Three Floyds Brewing Company
- Founders Brewing Company
- Central Waters Brewing Company
- Dark Horse Brewing Company
- Piece Brewery and Pizzeria
- Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
- Short’s Brewing Company
- Surly Brewing Company
- Metropolitan Brewing Company
- 5 Rabbit Cerveceria
- Greenbrush Brewing Company
- Steel Toe Brewing
- Virtue Cider
- Moody Tongue Brewing Company
With each brewery, Locally Brewed presents important facts such as location, owners, head brewer, date established, total production volume, distribution by state, and web site. The book also includes a list of good bars/taverns in relative close proximity to each brewery where you can grab a pint and sample the beer. And to keep things fun, there is a “Brewer’s Playlist” with each brewery; a list of musical artists and their songs that are commonly heard playing in each brewery while the tanks are turning and the beer is fermenting.
Sample Some Beer
Locally Brewed wants readers to know more about the beer produced by each of these twenty breweries. To accomplish this, the book includes a few notes about some specific brands/styles complete with pictures of beer labels, tap handles, etc. Some of the beers have interesting backgrounds relating to their creation and production. Locally Brewed lets you get to know the beer on a more intimate level, whetting your appetite and motivating readers to seek out some of these beers and discover why they are so highly acclaimed.
Get to Know the People
Even more than the beer, Locally Brewed is a book about people and this is what sets this book apart from most others on the subject. With each brewery, Locally Brewed introduces its owners, head brewers, and other personnel who help make the operation what it is and give it personality. Some of the brewery founders overcame tremendous obstacles to arrive where they are today. As you read, you grow to appreciate more strongly than before the incredible effort and sacrifice that goes into the founding, opening, and functioning of a craft brewery.
Thank Your Local Brewery
Locally Brewed is a nice book about the people who bring their artisanal craft to the masses. It’s a quick read that highlights some of the best- known and most renowned beers from each brewery while placing a special emphasis on the founders, the brewers, and the others who keep the brewery functioning each day.
Next time you pay a visit to a local brewery, make sure to take time to thank the people for what they do. Running a brewery is no easy feat and the people behind the brewing, marketing, bottling, and cleaning deserve your appreciation and gratitude.
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