Beer travel guides were once all the rage but like most travel books, things change. It is harder to update a book than a website. But Kirk Richardson is trying something much harder. Surveying the entire nation in Craft Beer Country.
Part one is the Western United States. From Alaska down to Hawaii. That includes my neck of the beer woods, Los Angeles. I will be interested to see what Richardson says about my locals and which ones are featured.
Hey Sean. Although I suppose you could use this book as a beer region guide, like some of the amazing brewers I have come to know, I wanted to create something really different here. So the first 32 chapters in CBC are deep-dive stories about individual breweries and brewers. The last section covers 38 more in shorter format write-ups. My goal was storytelling blended with tasting notes and a few surprises. (You have probably figured that out by now, since you posted your initial thoughts back on Nov. 3.) Trying to cover all of the noteworthy breweries in seven states and Western Canada, let alone LA, would have been impossible. As you point out, things are always changing. That is why local writers, like you, are so important in the craft beer scene. Whether you like the book or not, I would appreciate your feedback. I’d also like your recommendations for hidden gems that I’ve missed, so I can check them out the next time I’m in Southern California. Salud!
Thanks Kirk. Appreciate the explanation of the books purpose. I was hoping it would be more about the breweries and not just where the breweries are at. Looking forward to reading it.