The best book about beer

My next column, in a fortnight, will be around my 1000th on the subject of beer and my last for Fairfax. For me, it will mark an end to 21 years of writing about beer in Kiwi newspapers.

As with most things, the internet has become most people’s go-to resource for information on beer. However, I still believe there’s a place for considered specialist writing and reference books.

An example of the latter is a book that remains my top recommendation for anyone wishing to learn about beer. Tasting Beer - An insider’s guide to the world’s greatest drink by Randy Mosher was first published in 2009. Earlier this year an updated second edition was published, and I’ve just got my hands on it.

Having judged with Randy in America, and enjoyed several conversations with him over the years, I’ve always found him genial and immensely knowledgeable. Those characteristics are all too evident in his writing.

The first chapter, The Story of Beer, outlines the chronology and development of beer. Chapter two, Sensory Evaluation, deals with the human olfactory and gustatory systems and how psychological responses to beer differ from person to person, while chapter three, Brewing and the Vocabulary of Beer Flavour, offers a detailed explanation of beer’s ingredients and the brewing process. Most useful is the section on common brewing faults and how to identify them.

The following chapters include a detailed examination of beer’s components and styles, as well as BEER an explanation of the techniques used for tasting, judging and evaluating beers. Both chapters should be mandatory reading for anyone with a hankering to train in beer appreciation and judging.

Next comes a chapter looking at the storage and serving of beer. As Randy says: ’’Beer is a fussy beverage. It doesn’t like to be too warm or too cold. It shies away from the sun. It cares about the size, shape and cleanliness of the glass it is served in and really responds to a great pour’’.

The same chapter also looks at beer packaging – canned, bottled, kegged and cask-conditioned beers (real ales) – and explains different pasteurisation and filtration techniques. There’s also a useful section on how to identify a problematic beer, a fascinating look at the history of beer-drinking vessels, and advice on how to select the appropriate glass for different styles of beer. The chapter ends with a section on the storage and cellaring of beers.

The next chapter tackles the principles of beer and food matching and includes plenty of suggested pairings. Deservedly, beer and cheese matching gets its own section, which is followed by advice and examples on the subject of cooking with beer.

The next five chapters detail the evolution and geography of the major families of beer styles. British and Irish ales; the lager family; continental ales, weissbiers and ale-lager hybrids; Belgian beers; and craft beer in America and beyond each get separate chapters. The book’s final chapter, A Sip Beyond, highlights the importance of sharing your interest in beer with others. The book closes with a glossary of beer terms and an atlas of beer flavours and their origins. Both are useful.

What’s new and updated in the second edition? Randy says: ‘‘A lot more vocabulary items and much more about the neurobiology of our sensory systems. The beer and food chapter is rewritten entirely, and the book now includes information on draft systems. As styles have evolved, those need to be covered, and I switched over to the BJCP standards for style specifications, since that seems to be the standard now.’’

As well as my own recommendation, Tasting Beer is endorsed by the Cicerone programme for those pursuing one of its certifications and is the only book on beer recommended by the International Court of Wine Sommeliers.

Introducing my very first column, I expressed my desire to ‘‘provide an insight into the amazing diversity of flavours available within the world of beer’’, and my intention ‘‘to dispel some of the myths surrounding beer and the misconceptions people have about what it is and what it should taste like’’.

Get a copy of Randy’s book and you won’t need my help any more.

Cheers!

by Randy Mosher is available online from thenile.co.nz for $28.26 (including delivery).