Well I have to say, for me this was simply a fun book to brows through and pick up bits and pieces of information. It is certainly not the beginning nor the end of beer books, but like all of the Eyewitness books, it is a class act and you really cannot help but learn while reading.
I am not a big beer drinker and am certainly not a beer gourmet, aficionado, or expert in any way. I like beer but when I drink it I do so very selectively and indulge in relatively small amounts; usually no more than two glasses at a time. Now that being said, I am adventuresome in my beer drinking and am constantly trying any new brand that I come in contact with, both foreign and domestic. For the life of me I cannot even pronounce the names of some of the brews I have tasted over the years. This is sort of a pity because when I have found a special drink that I like, I cannot remember the name of the thing. This work, on a limited scale, can help me solve some of that problem.
The format used in this work is pretty typical Eyewitness. We have a good short history of beer, an overview of the brewing process which includes methods from different countries and regions and different grains and additives used now and through the ages. This was all quite interesting as I now know why I am tasting what I am tasting.
The book then goes on to give a short review, country by country, region by region of some of the known, and in some cases least known brands of beer in the world. Of course, like any such work, not every product of every country you are familiar with will be addressed here. As has been pointed out by other reviewers, some great beer brands have been excluded or one reason or another. Now this may upset those of you who are true followers of this delightful drink, but for me it did not matter much. I learned of some brews I have never heard of nor seen and now have high hopes of crossing paths with them in the future.
The author has used lively and descriptive prose and I actually found myself thirsty for the taste of some of the products he was describing. Think of this book as a small travel book, a tour guide to stick in your tucker bag when you next hit the road. It is sort of like a bird identification field guide, except in this case it is beer you want to spot, try, and then record; at least in your taste memory.
As I said, this is a fun little book to read and flip through. I did learn much, but then again I did not know much to begin with, so that is probably not the best endorsement found here. I would just love to be knowledgeable enough to pontificate on this subject and dazzle you with my vast knowledge of the subject, but I fear I really don't know enough to pull that off....yet.
Bottom line: I enjoyed it and feel most others interested in the subject will also. This is a worthwhile read and a definite book to take with you on your travels as it at least will give you a starting point.
Get more detail about Beer (Eyewitness Companions).
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