Category: Beer Books

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Beer Book Review – The Opposite of Woe

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To be upfront, I was 100% more interested in the beer portion of The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics by Governor John Hickenlooper.

By the end though, I found myself much more interested in his childhood and his mother and how that affected his personality and choices throughout his life.

Maybe that was because both the beer and the politics really get short shrifted in this telling. Wynkoop Brewing was one of the pioneers of craft beer in Colorado, and I didn’t really get to read much about it other than an anecdote about cleaning toilets and fundraising through friends and families. There wasn’t mention of his favorite beers or much about the customers and the growing beer scene or even the Great American Beer Festival for that matter.

The tenure as Mayor of Denver got some coverage but his first term as Governor is just blitzed through with just a laundry list of accomplishments and personnel who helped him.

It is probably too early for a thorough accounting of his political career but I would have hoped to learn more about the craft beer part of his life. But maybe that is for another book. There were many hints dropped as to buried stories underneath the polite line of history that just were not picked up.

But the section up until he got to Denver is really interesting stuff from the point of view of how people are affected by those in their lives and how you can keep pushing and learning all through life. Just following his geographic route through life is remarkable.

Overall, this memoir suffers from what many do. The initial pages are full of content but as the pages go by, the coverage gets thinner until the end, whole years are barely even sketched. There is interesting stuff here but not enough for the beer fan.

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Beer Book Review – Beer Pairing by Julia Herz & Gwen Conley

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Sub-titled: The Essential Guide from the Pairing Pros, this book covers quite a bit of ground and is certainly a handy reference guide for setting up a major beer dinner or just to enjoy a dinner with family with beer that will really enhance the experience.

Julia Herz and Gwen Conley have come at the problem from a different angle. First how to talk about pairing and what the goal is. The typical Three C’s of Compare, Contrast and Cut are there but they add more nuance to those common practices. A wow moment for me was to think of intensity and bridges as just as important. What is the intensity of the food or the hops in that IPA? And are there friends of friends that can cart you over the bridge from the beer to the food?

There were other golden information nuggets in those first three chapters such as discussing beer in non-beer terms such as ice tea or maple syrup or flavors in relation to past food experiences. Did that beer remind you of your Mom’s cooking or a trip to Oregon? They also place, rightly, importance on What comes first? music (beer) or lyrics (food) when creating a craft beer dinner. But at 60+ pages of science of smell and other book learning, it came across more as a data dump as precursor to the good stuff later.

The graphs used were also hit-and-miss. Most did not seem to be organized in an immediately recognizable format and required poring over to see what should have been a distillation of information. The Potential Interactions chart of page 72 is a prime example. The type is way too small and there are too many columns with what appears, at first, as repeated information. But then the intensity beer tasting form is better….
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In between, is the Palate Trip graphic which looks a little too clip-arty and makes the really good idea of trying the same foods with different beers a bit harder to grasp. The authors use train wreck as the term for bad pairings and this is a prime example of one…IMG_7019

The meat of the book is well done. (Pun intended). The basic beer styles are covered with data for the super geeky and with a range of pairing suggestions that are both comfortable and outside of the box. I really like the idea of “Try this First”. You (or I) may not like that particular food, but reading about why they chose it can easily lead one to a different pick. Plus, I appreciated that nothing was way too fancy. There were fancy examples but this book is firmly geared to what even a rare occasion cook, like me, could accomplish with a little work.

The expansive section of chocolate, cheese and other strong pairing choices probably could have been folded in as sidebars to the main chapter since it re-covers ground already trodden.

Overall, the book has some solid reference points and I think adds to the beer library admirably.

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A Book & A Beer – Wood & Beer

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Normally, I would review a book of Fiction or Non-Fiction for this monthly post that was totally unrelated to craft beer. But this month, I break that rule to talk about Wood & Beer a new-ish release from Brewers Publications written by two heavyweights in the beer world, Dick Cantwell and Peter Bouckaert.

The book covers a lot of ground delving into history, construction, natural resources and microbiology. Mostly, you will know a lot more about wood after reading this book. From the veins and structure of trees to fashioning staves that make up the barrel.

Yes, it is directed primarily at brewers and to a lesser extent home brewers but there are lots of interesting factual nuggets to be found in the pages. One that really stood out for me was that over 85% of U.S. breweries are at least dabbling in using wood in creating beers. That seemed astonishingly high but it does account for the exploding market in barrels and the growing range of types of barrels being used.

I had hoped to read more about how Elysian and New Belgium grew their barrel programs and what they learned, mistakes made and surprise successes. There is a bit about the Foeder Forest and the Salazar influence on the wild and sour beers coming from Fort Collins but I would have lapped up even more. Maybe I will have to wait for Lauren Salazar to write a sour book. There is nothing about Elysian, which is understandable but still a bit disappointing to me.

For drinking with this book, I can give two California suggestions. Amburana Porter from Three Weavers is a lovely dark ale that really showcases the Brazilian wood and imparts tremendous cinnamon notes into the beer. It is one of my favorites from the Inglewood brewery. I have been told it is a limited release but it seems to pop up frequently.

Then, I should say try anything from Barrelworks – the sour arm of Firestone Walker but let’s narrow that down to trying two Bretta’s. Rose and my absolute favorite, Bretta Weisse. They really showcase how oak works on a beer to add layers. These are two very well rounded beers.

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THE Hops List

265. That is a lot of hops. And Julian Healey has created a handy dictionary for each one.
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Each Hop merits a short description along with brewmaster notes as well as flavors/aroma characteristics and most common usage.

This may be geared more toward the home brewer but if you pick up a digital version, you can also make quick reference while you are drinking your next IPA.

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A Book & A Beer – The Regional Office is Under Attack

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Meta may be an oft overused term in today’s culture but in some instances it is a perfect fit and The Regional Office is Under Attack fits the definition like a glove.

This book is one of the best that I have read in a long time. Filled with faux historical interludes, oblique references to evil being fought by trained female operatives, emotional back stories and robotic arms as a schism nearly destroys the regional office hidden in a travel agency.

The book is lightning paced. Short, staccato chapters that alternate from the POV from Sarah on one side and Rose on the other with other characters lightly sketched in around them to make you wonder who is in the right and who isn’t. The action is furious but also funny especially a section where we follow a group of non-combatants through the carnage of the attack.

Usually when I say that a book will most certainly be made into a movie, that is a bit of a derisive comment but with this book, I could easily picture this being adapted for the screen with great results (in the right, non Michael Bay hands). Plus with a refreshing women-centric pair of leads, Hollywood should probably get right on it.

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Beer Book Binge

It is good to see more and more craft beer books on the shelves. Here are three that you should peruse online or, heavens forbid, in an actual bookstore.

Wood & Beer – combine Peter Bouckaert from New Belgium with Dick Cantwell, the quality ambassador for the Brewer’s Association and you will get some seriously in depth knowledge about wood an what happens when beer comes into contact with it. Just bought it and will review later.

The Beer Geek Handbook – I really enjoyed the slim cellaring book from Patrick Dawson, Vintage Beer. His latest seems heavy on illustrations and is more jokey in tone. Might be better as a gift to those outside the craft scene to help them understand why beer ignites such passion.

The Opposite of Woe – For this political season, combine one Denver craft beer entrepreneur with the mayor’s office and the governorship and see how brewing a beer is similar to getting a bill passed.  From two-time Mayor of Denver and Governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper.

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L.A. (not so) Confidential

The rest of the craft beer country will really know about us now that Henry from Monkish has landed on the cover of the latest Beer Advocate magazine issue.
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Let that sink in for a moment. Now let me break out my red pen to see what I agree with and what I don’t…

Right off the bat, the fact that the fabulous Bernie Wire was the lead photographer was perfect even if the article failed to live up to my expectations, I knew that the look would be good.
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I was a little concerned by the map though accompanying the piece. No names of breweries, towns or freeways on it. Little less than useful. Maybe another photo there? Or a sidebar about the writer’s favorite beers?

The tone of the piece authored by Sean Lewis is good. L.A. Is a stereotypical city and it is good to start with a confirm and then move on opening set of paragraphs. I also liked the ending which turned the focus to one of the strengths of L.A., the women who power our scene. I am also glad that Eagle Rock and Ladyface got their due though I wish Strand would have gotten a mention too.

Speaking of mentions, I think it should be obligatory that Craftsman and Mark Jilg get mentioned for holding the banner up. But maybe that was cut for space or considered something that has been done too much already. Also a plug for L.A. Beer Week would have been nice.

Overall, not much to quibble with. Lewis is a reliable writer for Beer Advocate who seems a straight shooter without betraying a bias. You could take this article and visit the breweries and bars and get a solid snapshot of what L.A. beer is.

Oh and I am artfully hidden in the Eagle Rock photo on page 58.
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A Book & A Beer – Dublineqsue by Enrique Vila-Matas

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Well, Dublinesque was a struggle to get through to the end.  No chance of getting into a rhythm and ripping off 100 pages in a sitting.  And the problem is the lead character Riba.  He is a shit to his wife and aging parents.  He is petty and childish.  And his “heroic” quest in the book is to hold a wake for the age of printed books.  A goodbye to Gutenberg.  None of it hit home with me.  Not one character was interesting.

Many possible pivot points were brought up and then dropped.  A mysterious suitcase, the husband and wife relationship, the Gutenberg Wake were all passed over in a hurry.  There could have been a spirited Godot like conversation about the state of publishing or the dynamic between authors and publishers.  Maybe a peek into what writers do when they gather together and are not writing.   A discussion of over-rated authors would have been good.  When, as a reader, you spend more time thinking about what you would have written then what you are reading, it isn’t a good sign.

Not to mention that the end takes a leap into the future and tries to do a flashback, what happened when I drank too much last night turn.  Didn’t see that relapse coming.  It was only hinted at for 200+ pages and still didn’t make Riba any more interesting.  Just a mopey sad sack.

Since, I do not recommend this book to anyone unless they are a HUGE James Joyce fan and are completists by nature, I could have recommended beers not to drink from Spain or Ireland or here in the U.S.  But I won’t pile on and make matters worse.

Instead here are some literary themed beers that I think would be great to have while reading.

Thomas Hardy’s Ale named after the English Author

Cisco Brewer’s Whale’s Tale named after the great White Whale

Rogue Brewing has their Shakespeare Stout

Tart of Darkness from friend’s of the blog, The Bruery

or hit up some RavenBeer for some Edgar Allan Poe

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Woody

Brewers Publications, has a new book out and it has two beer stars talking barrels. Wood & Beer: A Brewer’s Guide by Dick Cantwell (formerly of Elysian Brewing) and Peter Bouckaert from New Belgium, deep dive into “the many influences of wood as a vehicle for contributing tremendous complexity to beers fermented and aged within it.”
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“Wood & Beer covers not only the history, physiology, microbiology and flavor contributions of wood, but also the maintenance of wooden vessels.”

And if Matt Brynildson, the brewmaster at Firestone Walker Brewing Company blurbs enthusiastically about the book, then it might be worth leafing through. It might be pegged more for brewing but ardent craft beer fans will most certainly pick up nuggets of wisdom that will help them enjoy beer from the wood better.

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Beer Label, Book, Both?

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A like the meta nature of the label from Evil Twin for the companion beer to the book Beer & Food which are also companions since many people now know that beer is much more versatile with food than other beverages.

And the beer itself sounds intriguing as well. Maybe a future, A Book & A Beer post.