Take the time while stretched out on the towel or relaxing poolside to catch up on these new beer books, released just in time for warm weather enjoyment.
For the Aspiring Sour Beer Brewer
American Sour Beers: Innovative Techniques for Mixed Fermentations by Michael Tonsmeire
Michael Tonsmeire has been covering the sour and wild brewing beat on his popular blog, The Mad Fermentationist, since 2007, amassing a following of homebrewers and readers along the way. His first book, the long anticipated American Sour Beers, is geared toward homebrewers who want to start, or develop, their sour beer brewing skills. It will leave you inspired and with the know-how to delve into the funky and sour stuff. He covers it all, from getting to know your microbes and wort production up to spontaneous fermentation, wood aging, packaging, and more.
For Road Trip Inspiration
The Great Northeast Brewery Tour by Ben Keene
It’s not like you ever need an excuse to visit a brewery, but beer and travel journalist Ben Keene offers plenty, with enticing descriptions, useful details and tidbits, and full-color pages featuring more than sixty breweries around New England down to New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the mid-Atlantic states. I appreciate the inclusion of off-the-beaten-path breweries, such Tree House Brewing Company in Monson, Massachusetts, and 14th Star Brewing in St. Albans, Vermont, and the accessibility for devoted beer travelers and day trippers alike.
For Brushing up on British Beer
Brew Britannia: The Strange Rebirth of British Beer by Jessica Boak and Ray Bailey
While the way-back, colonial-era and beyond history of brewing can be fascinating in its own right, the more recent history can show how a modern beer and brewing culture has developed. In Brew Britannia, Jessica Boak and Ray Bailey, of the popular Boak & Bailey’s Beer Blog, track the evolution of British brewing and the scene from 1963 onward, including the origins of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) up to the new waves of microbrewing and craft beer. It’s available in the United Kingdom and on Kindle now, and can be pre-ordered ahead of the August 1 release date for the United States.
For the Canned Beer Lover
Canned! Artwork of the Modern American Beer Can by Russ Phillips
The craft beer canning revolution is decidedly not just a trend. Cans are better for the beer and the environment, are more portable for outdoor adventures, and they act as a canvas (no pun intended) for artwork and design. Canned, by CraftCan.com’s Russ Phillips, showcases the can’s potential for design, from New Belgium to Austin Beerworks to craft canning’s godfather, Oskar Blues, with beautiful photo spreads and details about the brewery and the beer. Leave it out on the coffee table or atop the beer fridge for continued inspiration while cracking open a cold one.