The Beer Bible: A Book For The Enlightened Drinker
By Ben Kramer in Food on Oct 16, 2015 2:40PM
As intoxicating as beer is, I was initially frightened when I received my copy of Jeff Alworth's The Beer Bible in the mail. It's a brick of a book, covering over 100 types of beer. It seemed daunting. But as I began to read, I found myself interested, then engrossed and then I made a mental note to see the author speak at Goose Island on October 20.
Though the book clocks in at 644 pages, Alworth makes it easy on the reader, not bum rushing you immediately with facts and figures, but introducing beer as a sensory experience. Though complex, beer is a simple pleasure, and it’s this introduction, and reminder, that eases the reader into finding their bearings, as the first chapter’s name, “Finding Your Bearings”, suggests you do. From here, Alworth educates the reader, explaining the building blocks of beer, the history of beer, how to taste like a brewer and finally readies us for our introduction into Ales.
Ales are the second out of six parts in Bible. Wheat Beers, Lagers, Wild and Tart Ales and Enjoying Beer make up the final four sections. Within each part, with exception to “Enjoying Beer”, styles serve as chapters. So in the “Ale” section, Porter is a chapter, “Lager”, Pilsner is a chapter, and so on. Each one is tackled comprehensively, covering history, taste, chemical makeup, and evolution of the style. Alworth’s writing provides absolute insight and clarity, especially when covering stylistic differences between countries who brew the same style, such as what separates an American IPA from a British one. He does so in a way that straddles the line between casual and academic finely.
Coming off as almost conversational, Alworth understands that his audience is mostly beer novices and geeks like myself, not trained brewers. His loose, at times playful, approach makes for smooth reading, and even if there’s a word or term you don’t recognize, such as “Decoction”, Alworth most likely has the definition in the Glossary he provides towards the back of the book.
The book, while full of stories and facts, also contains “The Beers To Know” section at the end of each chapter. Providing brief listings of beers that best represent their styles, it’s a useful tool in figuring out where to start if you haven’t tried a Brown Ale, for example.
The Beer Bible, much like the other Bible, is a massive read. You won’t get everything at once, and it may take another read to get a better grasp on beer as a drink and culture. That being said, The Beer Bible owns a wealth of knowledge as vast as Donald Trump’s bank account. It’s a great read for those curious on beer, and for those wishing to go further with it.
Jeff Alworth will be appearing at Goose Island's Fulton Street Brewery (1800 W. Fulton St.) October 20, between 6:30-830 pm to talk about beer (oh really?) and hold a Q&A session with the audience. There will be an opportunity to meet and mingle with the author at the end of the night.