Beer Week, Book Notes, and the Story of Beer

I’ve decided to take this week to focus on the “Pints” part of my title, and thereby christen this “Beer Week” here on the blog!

A couple week’s ago, as part of this post for Deeper Story, I shared a bit of the story of beer. Beer has been part of human life from the dawn of civilization to the present day, and its history makes for a fascinating narrative, although one that is not as well known as the popularity of the drink might imply.

I came across that history as I began to take interest in beer (particularly craft beer) a few years ago. Like anything else I find interesting, my first instinct was to find a book on the matter. So I read about the history of beer, its various styles, and the role it has played in culture.

From that reading I’d like to kick off the week by pointing you towards two books that I found especially helpful.

First, Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink by Randy Mosher. Randy is one of the world’s leading experts on beer, and in this excellent guide he shares everything from the history of beer, to sensory terminology, to glassware and an in-depth look at various styles.

Also, I’ve been quite impressed with The Oxford Companion to Beer. This one is more of a reference work than a cover-to-cover read, but the contributors are top rate and the articles do a brilliant job of exploring the wide world of beer and brewing.