Description

By (author) Atherton, Sophie

Short /annotation
50 topics, divided under seven chapter headings, offering short, witty summaries, whether covering the basics or trade secrets. You’ll pick up the knowledge without noticing—and by the time you reach the last page, you’ll be able to hold your own with local beer experts anywhere in the world.

Mutli-million dollar branded or small-scale craft creation? Lager or ale? Boldly quaffed or genteelly sipped? However you enjoy your beer, you may not know as much about it as you think. 30-Second Beer is here to enlighten you, with a trip around the world’s beers, a look at brewing history, a dissection of the different sorts of brew and their unique characteristics, and an up-to-date overview of the current craft scene and the various (and ever-changing) fashions in beer drinking.

50 topics, divided under seven chapter headings, offering short, witty summaries, whether covering the basics or trade secrets. You’ll pick up the knowledge without noticing—and by the time you reach the last page, you’ll be able to hold your own with local beer experts anywhere in the world.

Table of contents

Chapter 1: The Basics
GLOSSARY
What is beer?
Ale v lager
The two basic beer families
Alcoholic strength
How strong is too strong?
PROFILE: MONASTIC BREWERS
Packaging & dispense

Chapter 2: History
GLOSSARY
The Origins of Beer
Women & beer
Safer than water
New technologies
PROFILE: JOSEPH GROLL
Origins of modern ales
Beer in the 20th Century

Chapter 3: Brewing
GLOSSARY
How beer is made
Fermentation
Conditioning/maturation
Hops
Profile:
PROFILE: PROFESSOR ERNEST SALMON
Malt
Yeast
Water
Speciality brews

Chapter 4: Beer Styles
GLOSSARY
British pale ales
Stout & porter
Strong ales
Lagers
PROFILE: ARTHUR GUINNESS
Belgian styles
Wheat beers
Sour beers
American craft beers
Other significant styles

Chapter 5: Beer Culture
GLOSSARY
Great Britain
Belgium
Germany
The Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Italy
PROFILE: MICHAEL JACKSON
United States
Scandinavia
Asia & Africa
Southern Hemisphere
Everywhere

CHAPTER 6: The Beer Industry
GLOSSARY
Corporate brewing
Craft beer
Home brewing
Trade organisations
The on trade
PROFILE: JAMES WATT & MARTIN DICKIE, BREWDOG
Specialist retailers

CHAPTER 7: Beer Appreciation
GLOSSARY
How to taste beer
Storage & service
Quality
Beer & food matching
Profile: Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery
Beer writing
Beer judging
Beer festivals
Beer organisations

Resources (further reading, books and journals, useful websites)
Index
Acknowledgments

Review quote
“Edited by Imbibe contributor Sophie Atherton, with entries by Imbibe contributor Pete Brown and beer and cider editor Susanna Forbes, 30-Second Beer is a fun, educational guide to the category.”

Review quote
“An illustrated and inventive guide to our favourite hoppy beverage, from the history to the basics of brewing and a trip around the world”s beers.”

Review quote
“An interesting introduction and insight into the fascinating world of beer.”

Biographical note

Sophie Atherton was the first woman in the UK to be accredited as a beer sommelier. Her work appears regularly in the UK national press and various magazines such as the Campaign for Real Ale’s BEER and trade publication Th