Craft beer is big in the USA. With the number of breweries exceeding 4,000 and the artisanal fluids they produce numbering in the tens of thousands, craft beer has forever changed the American beer landscape and continues to win over new adherents each day.
Taste and variety are important, but craft beer is much more than a numbers game. The IPA, pale ale, hefeweizens, and other specialty brews- and the people who brew them- have helped shape the American culture, much like malt beverages once influenced the course of history. The past and present of beer and all its glory is illustrated in The Beer Bible, a guide to all things beer, written by Jeff Alworth.
Wisdom of History
Beer has been an important component of the past and The Beer Bible illustrates this well. It begins with some background on beer, describing how it is made and how it has changed from one century to the next. The book then guides you through individual styles of beer, stopping along the way to educate the reader on different historical facts, introduce trivia tidbits, and otherwise make you wiser and more knowledgeable about the world’s most popular alcoholic beverage.
Get Your Fill
The Beer Bible spends most of its 600+ pages talking about the world’s different beer styles and this is the part of the book that most will find the best and most memorable. Some of the facts presented will be old news for the seasoned craft beer veteran, but other information is fresh and new. Sure, we’ve all heard of India Pale Ale, Belgian Witbier, and Fresh Hop Ales, but The Beer Bible touches on other styles that even the most well- educated beer connoisseur may be unaware. Braggot, Chicha, and Sahti are three good examples and there are other miscellaneous facts and figures found throughout the book are invaluable for increasing one’s beer IQ.
Last Call
The endless information about styles, origins, processes, etc. would be enough to recommend The Beer Bible, but there’s more. The book rounds out its evangelical efforts with some useful appendices that cover things such as serving and storing beer, pairing beer with food, partaking in beer tourism, and more. There is even a glossary of terms, maps of origin, and a useful table for betting understanding the world’s hop varieties. Whew!
Spread the Good News
The Beer Bible is one of the best books I have read on the subject of beer. I have read a large number of beer books, most of which tend to focus on a specific beer topic or function. The majority of books out there do not offer comprehensive, learn-til-you-can’t-learn-any-more content, but The Beer Bible is different. It wants you, the beer knowledge seeker, to come away from the reading with even greater respect and understanding for the greatest beverage the world has ever known and it succeeds on most every level.
One of the many aspects of this book I like is that it leaves no question unanswered. Those of you who have read a good number of beer books likely know what I’m talking about. The tendency of most beer books is to only partially quench your thirst for knowledge, but ultimately leave you wanting more and heading out for another six- pack; I mean, another book. With The Beer Bible, your palate is satiated and your soul is refreshed. As you read each piece of scripture and soak up the inspiration, you will notice a feeling of divine contentment. A certain peacefulness will take over as your lifelong search for ultimate truth meets a hoppy and fulfilling end.
Not everyone who reads The Beer Bible will feel exactly the same sense of fulfillment that I felt, but this is expected. All great reads have their controversial moments, and The Beer Bible has its share as well. One particular example that comes to mind is “The Beers to Know”, which is an illustrated listing of recommended beers found at the end of each style’s section. Readers are bound to argue incessantly over the included beers and will be tempted to curse the Beer Bible’s good name for failing to include an example from their favorite local brewery. But now, you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Bury such negativity and rejoice, for the good news is upon you.
Beer books are many and with the craft beer revolution sweeping the land, the number of beer books continues to grow. If you have time for only one book this year on the subject of beer, make it The Beer Bible by Jeff Alworth. It’s one of the most comprehensive books available and the information and knowledge it imparts will leave you feeling transformed, enlightened, and ultimately blessed.
Read The Beer Bible today, and spread the gospel of fine brew far and wide.
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