Brewed Awakening

September 15, 2011

The craft beer movement continues to thrive, and well-known beer writer and columnist Bernstein does a great job documenting some of its recent history and trends. This book is a nice mix of background information about beer and brewing as well as updates on the newer directions of the industry--e.g., chapters on eco-consciousness in brewing, bringing back forgotten beer styles and types, seasonal brews (an old idea coming back in vogue), new ways to package craft beers including (gasp) in cans, and home brewing, the ultimate craft beer. The book is conversational in tone and easy to read with an eye-catching layout styled as a notebook (complete with tasting notes and photos) and lists of beers to try at the end of each chapter. VERDICT Consumers are moving beyond the mainstream bottlers, and this is a fun read on a topic many would like to know more about. Recommended.--Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. of Ohio Libs., Oxford

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