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Brewing Revolution: Pioneering the Craft Beer Movement
The inspiring story behind today's craft beer revolution is the subject of this lively memoir by Frank Appleton, the English-trained brewmaster who is considered by many to be the father of Canada's craft-brewing movement. Appleton chronicles fifty years in the brewing business, from his early years working for one of the major breweries, to his part in establishing the first cottage brewery in Canada, to a forward look at the craft-beer industry in an ever more competitive market.
Disillusioned with the Canadian brewing scene in the early 1970s, when three huge companies controlled 90 percent of the market and marketers and accountants made the decisions on what products to make, not the brewmasters, Appleton decided to "drop out" and brew his own beer while homesteading in the interior of British Columbia. He made a meagre living as a freelance writer, and his article entitled "The Underground Brewmaster" sparked the interest of John Mitchell, co-founder of the Troller Pub in Horseshoe Bay, BC. Their partnership launched the Horseshoe Bay Brewery in June 1982, the first of its kind in the country, serving the iconic Bay Ale brewed from Appleton's recipe.
Covering a range of topics, such as the difficulty of steering beer drinkers away from the "Big Boys" breweries and struggles with the BC Liquor Control Board, as well as brewing plant design and the complexities of the malting process, Brewing Revolution touches upon the foundation of what shaped the craft-beer industry in Canada. Appleton's passion and innovation opened the gates for the scores of brewpubs and microbreweries that were to follow in both Canada and the US, and his story is of interest to anyone excited by today's craft-beer revival.
Disillusioned with the Canadian brewing scene in the early 1970s, when three huge companies controlled 90 percent of the market and marketers and accountants made the decisions on what products to make, not the brewmasters, Appleton decided to "drop out" and brew his own beer while homesteading in the interior of British Columbia. He made a meagre living as a freelance writer, and his article entitled "The Underground Brewmaster" sparked the interest of John Mitchell, co-founder of the Troller Pub in Horseshoe Bay, BC. Their partnership launched the Horseshoe Bay Brewery in June 1982, the first of its kind in the country, serving the iconic Bay Ale brewed from Appleton's recipe.
Covering a range of topics, such as the difficulty of steering beer drinkers away from the "Big Boys" breweries and struggles with the BC Liquor Control Board, as well as brewing plant design and the complexities of the malting process, Brewing Revolution touches upon the foundation of what shaped the craft-beer industry in Canada. Appleton's passion and innovation opened the gates for the scores of brewpubs and microbreweries that were to follow in both Canada and the US, and his story is of interest to anyone excited by today's craft-beer revival.
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 30, 2017
The Forrest Gump of Canadian brewing recounts his primary role in the resurgence of craft beer since the early 1980s. The general reader may wish for a bit less microbiology and brewing minutiae, but home or craft brewers will lap those sections up like a hoppy IPA. A fun read for those that enjoy popular history and are fond of a pint as well.
August 16, 2017
This covers the History and Growth of Craft beer in British Columbia and beyond admirably.
There are some details on brewing techniques and concerns but they are laid out and explained enough (other books that can be used to further understand the Chemisrtry are widely available)
Chapter 15 "Where to from here" should be published seperately as a pamphlet for Craft beer drinkers. I knew many pieces of this story but not with all it's threads. It brings a greater appreciation to the beer business.
A definite must read for beer geeks.
There are some details on brewing techniques and concerns but they are laid out and explained enough (other books that can be used to further understand the Chemisrtry are widely available)
Chapter 15 "Where to from here" should be published seperately as a pamphlet for Craft beer drinkers. I knew many pieces of this story but not with all it's threads. It brings a greater appreciation to the beer business.
A definite must read for beer geeks.
February 23, 2018
Більше мемуари, ніж розгляд руху історії в цілому, трохи розчарована
February 11, 2017
I am ONLY giving this 4 stars because there were quite a few sections in which I was lost, simply because I don't have a solid grasp on biology or the finer points of brewing beer, but I still feel like this is a 5-star book.
Frank Appleton tells his story, and the story of other brewers, in an engaging manner that makes you feel like you're sitting down with him for a friendly chat (over a beer, of course). Frank traded Manchester for Vancouver in the early 60's and essentially fathered the craft beer movement through designing breweries in B.C., and even some in the States. This all came after he left a job working for O'Keefe, one of the companies which he calls the "Big Boys", and which made bland adjunct lagers for mass production.
Essentially, he became much sought-after by those looking to design their own breweries because he had written an article titled, "The Underground Brewmaster" in 1978, which really sparked an entire movement. Because of this article, he was first contacted by a man named John Mitchell, who was another British transplant, asking for his help in creating a classic British brewpub which would be the first of its kind in the province (the Troller Pub in Horseshoe Bay, for anyone wondering!).
From there, word spread, and Frank was travelling all over B.C., the States, and even once to Lyon, France, to design and oversee the construction of brewpubs and breweries. He was The Man To Hire. This would continue for decades, and this is the book detailing much of it.
Brewing Revolution is absolutely full of super interesting historical facts, as well as plenty of information for those who understand biology terms and brewery design. I grew up in Canada and have lived in Vancouver for years, so I especially appreciated gleaning knowledge about the area from Frank's experiences.
If you are a craft beer fan, this is for you. You don't need to be knowledgeable on the subject to enjoy this book. Grab a beer and crack it open!
Frank Appleton tells his story, and the story of other brewers, in an engaging manner that makes you feel like you're sitting down with him for a friendly chat (over a beer, of course). Frank traded Manchester for Vancouver in the early 60's and essentially fathered the craft beer movement through designing breweries in B.C., and even some in the States. This all came after he left a job working for O'Keefe, one of the companies which he calls the "Big Boys", and which made bland adjunct lagers for mass production.
Essentially, he became much sought-after by those looking to design their own breweries because he had written an article titled, "The Underground Brewmaster" in 1978, which really sparked an entire movement. Because of this article, he was first contacted by a man named John Mitchell, who was another British transplant, asking for his help in creating a classic British brewpub which would be the first of its kind in the province (the Troller Pub in Horseshoe Bay, for anyone wondering!).
From there, word spread, and Frank was travelling all over B.C., the States, and even once to Lyon, France, to design and oversee the construction of brewpubs and breweries. He was The Man To Hire. This would continue for decades, and this is the book detailing much of it.
Brewing Revolution is absolutely full of super interesting historical facts, as well as plenty of information for those who understand biology terms and brewery design. I grew up in Canada and have lived in Vancouver for years, so I especially appreciated gleaning knowledge about the area from Frank's experiences.
If you are a craft beer fan, this is for you. You don't need to be knowledgeable on the subject to enjoy this book. Grab a beer and crack it open!
April 3, 2023
I struggled with the decision whether to give this book two or three stars, I decided there was to much time spent on talking about how beer is made from a scientific point of view. Seems the writer and the editor/editors ( I'm not sure which. ) forgot not everyone has a degree in microbiology like the writer of this book Frank Appleton. You could say this is a tale of two books. When the writer is telling us of his life in England before coming to Canada and the people he worked with as well as the stories of working at O'Keefe's when he first came to Canada those parts of the book are excellent, the problem is there just wasn't enough of that in this book. Also the stories he tells about being a consultant for people wanting to start their own craft beer brewery are first rate. This book in the end just had to much scientific aspects about making beer for me at least to find it enjoyable.
March 31, 2017
I really enjoyed learning about the history of craft beer in Canada and the US, how the boom started. This book has some humor included and personal anecdotes from the author, who essentially helped start this boom.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews