Tell Santa there's a new beer book out
Monday, when perhaps I should have been reading about how to solve our nation's economic problems, I looked at pretty pictures of beer.
The Beer Book, just released by DK Publishing, has some 1,200 color photos of the beers of the world, including a couple from Maryland.
Ediited by Tim Hampson, chairman of the British Guild of Beer Writers, and with a foreward from Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, this ambitious project strives to be a "visual guide" to the beers of the world.
There are color photos of bottled products and capsule descriptions of some 1,700 beers.
I checked the local listings. I was impressed that the book had the relatively recent news that the Brewer's Art had put its Green Peppercorn Tripel in bottles. It also gave Clipper City's Loose Cannon a nice mention. But it still had Flying Dog in Denver, not Frederick, Md. And I could not find any mention of the beers brewed by the nine other members of the Brewers Association of Maryland.
Nonetheless it is an impressive work, and fun to look at. And for $25, a holiday gift most beer lovers would appreciate.
Anyone else seen this book?
Any other impressions of it?
What are your favorite beer books?
Comments
I recently saw this book in the checkout line at Wegman's Market, in Fairfax, VA. Really nice presentation, but I just briefly glanced at it on my way out.
Posted by: SHJ | November 11, 2008 2:50 PM
I would assume part of the issue with covering those other beers is accessibility. Having not seen the book, I would have to ask how thorough it is in covering some of the smallest breweries/brew pubs in all 50 states. I would also have to ask if they only profiled that which they could get in a bottle. If so, that severely limits their choices in MD.
Brewers Alley is available in a bottle, but only in the Frederick County area, and places like DuClaw, or Growlers don't offer bottles (outside of growlers sold at the bars) at all. I think a similar sort of book dealing with brew pubs around the US would be an interesting item, although that presents its own series of problems for any would be author.
Posted by: Kevin Smith | November 12, 2008 8:31 AM