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Brewing Local: American-Grown Beer
Beer has never been a stranger to North America. Author Stan Hieronymous explains how before European colonization, Native Americans were making beer from fermented corn, such as the tiswin of the Apache and Pueblo tribes. European colonists new to the continent were keen to use whatever local flavorings were at hand like senna, celandine, chicory, pawpaw, and persimmon. Before barley took hold in the 1700s, early fermentables included corn (maize), wheat bran, and, of course, molasses.
Later immigrants to the young United States brought with them German and Czech yeasts and brewing techniques, setting the stage for the ubiquitous Pilsner lagers that came to dominate by the late 1800s. But local circumstances led to novel techniques, like corn and rice adjuncts, or the selection of lager yeasts that could ferment at ale-like temperatures. Despite the emergence of brewing giants with national distribution, “common brewers” continued to make “common beer” for local taverns and pubs. Distinctive American styles arose. Pennsylvania Swankey, Kentucky Common, Choc beer, Albany Ale, and steam beer—now called California common—all distinctive styles born of their place.
From its post-war fallow period, the US brewing industry was reignited in the 1980s by the craft beer scene. Follow Stan Hieronymous as he explores the wealth of ingredients available to the locavores and beer aficionados of today. He takes the reader through grains, hops, trees, plants, roots, mushrooms, and chilis—all ingredients that can be locally grown, cultivated, or foraged. The author supplies tips on how to find these as well as dos and don'ts of foraging. He investigates the nascent wild hops movement and initiatives like the Local Yeast Project. Farm breweries are flourishing, with more breweries operating on farms than the US had total breweries fewer than 50 years ago. He gives recipes too, each one showing how novel, local ingredients can be used to add fermentables, flavor, and hop-like bitterness, and how they might be cultivated or gathered in the wild. Armed with this book, brewers in America have never been better equipped to create a beer that captures the essence of its place.
Later immigrants to the young United States brought with them German and Czech yeasts and brewing techniques, setting the stage for the ubiquitous Pilsner lagers that came to dominate by the late 1800s. But local circumstances led to novel techniques, like corn and rice adjuncts, or the selection of lager yeasts that could ferment at ale-like temperatures. Despite the emergence of brewing giants with national distribution, “common brewers” continued to make “common beer” for local taverns and pubs. Distinctive American styles arose. Pennsylvania Swankey, Kentucky Common, Choc beer, Albany Ale, and steam beer—now called California common—all distinctive styles born of their place.
From its post-war fallow period, the US brewing industry was reignited in the 1980s by the craft beer scene. Follow Stan Hieronymous as he explores the wealth of ingredients available to the locavores and beer aficionados of today. He takes the reader through grains, hops, trees, plants, roots, mushrooms, and chilis—all ingredients that can be locally grown, cultivated, or foraged. The author supplies tips on how to find these as well as dos and don'ts of foraging. He investigates the nascent wild hops movement and initiatives like the Local Yeast Project. Farm breweries are flourishing, with more breweries operating on farms than the US had total breweries fewer than 50 years ago. He gives recipes too, each one showing how novel, local ingredients can be used to add fermentables, flavor, and hop-like bitterness, and how they might be cultivated or gathered in the wild. Armed with this book, brewers in America have never been better equipped to create a beer that captures the essence of its place.
- GenresBrewingNonfiction
506 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 7, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 14, 2017
If you had asked me when I first started this book what I thought I would rate it, I would have said, 5 stars, easy. However, the book goes through a major tonal shift after the first chapter and then succumbs to some of the common pitfalls of many books on brewing.
As a (former) academic, I find most brewing books too short on the details and the nuance. They often fail to answer the questions that led me to buying the books in the first place because they struggle to find the balance among history, practical guide, theory, and scientific detail. Instead of focusing on one of these things, they try to do all of them, and they end up doing none of them well.
A well-told history of "brewing local" could be really interesting, but that history receives only three short chapters in this book, and that section is not to my taste. The theory receives only one (and it is the best chapter). The practical guide receives most of the attention, taking up the last 150 or so pages (add another ~35 pages if you want to include chapters 5 & 6, which are kind of a hybrid of theory and practice with emphasis on practice). Like the history of "brewing local," the science could also make for a useful and interesting text, but this book is light on scientific detail with most of it being woven throughout the chapters.
The first chapter, "Beer from a Place," was beautifully written. It reminded me, in parts, of a well-crafted documentary, of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, and of thoughtful creative non-fiction in general. I kept a pen in hand, underlining a great many quotable passages. I got my hopes up in this chapter hoping that the whole book would be more ruminatory like this.
Then the second chapter came along and brought with it a completely different tone. It was still useful and informative, but it lost the luster of the first chapter's rich language and more abstractly philosophical approach to the subject matter. Instead, it offered a fairly direct yet truncated history of American indigenous beer styles including steam beer and common beer. Chapters 3 & 4 were similar, each taking on historical topics in the same direct but truncated way.
Then chapters 5 (on foraging for ingredients) & 6 (on yeast) move out of history mode and instead offer a lot of practical advice for modern brewers. I found myself desiring greater depth in these chapters.
The remainder of the book (about half of the book's total length) is full of practical information about non-Reinheitsgebot ingredients used somewhat commonly (relatively) in brewing (I wished these entries had contained greater detail) and clone recipes for beers using these ingredients.
My review so far has seemed pretty negative, I guess. But, overall, I did like the book. However, I felt like it was a bit of bait and switch. The first chapter was stunning, and on the basis of that chapter alone I would rate this book 5 stars. But the rest of the book didn't follow from those opening pages. Sure, some of it has been (and will be) useful, but it's not as useful as it could have been.
Here's what I want from a book like this: theory and science. I want some big picture concepts to work with and then to be able to apply those concepts myself. I appreciate having some sample recipes, but when about a third of the book is devoted to them, that's just too much.
I would love to read the book that chapter 1 made me think this book would be: a beautifully-written creative non-fiction account of "brewing local." A kind of a Mind of a Chef or Chef's Table or something like that for brewers who brew local. That would be a cool book, and if Stan Hieronymus wanted to get on writing that book, well, that'd be just swell, and I'd be first in line to buy it.
As a (former) academic, I find most brewing books too short on the details and the nuance. They often fail to answer the questions that led me to buying the books in the first place because they struggle to find the balance among history, practical guide, theory, and scientific detail. Instead of focusing on one of these things, they try to do all of them, and they end up doing none of them well.
A well-told history of "brewing local" could be really interesting, but that history receives only three short chapters in this book, and that section is not to my taste. The theory receives only one (and it is the best chapter). The practical guide receives most of the attention, taking up the last 150 or so pages (add another ~35 pages if you want to include chapters 5 & 6, which are kind of a hybrid of theory and practice with emphasis on practice). Like the history of "brewing local," the science could also make for a useful and interesting text, but this book is light on scientific detail with most of it being woven throughout the chapters.
The first chapter, "Beer from a Place," was beautifully written. It reminded me, in parts, of a well-crafted documentary, of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, and of thoughtful creative non-fiction in general. I kept a pen in hand, underlining a great many quotable passages. I got my hopes up in this chapter hoping that the whole book would be more ruminatory like this.
Then the second chapter came along and brought with it a completely different tone. It was still useful and informative, but it lost the luster of the first chapter's rich language and more abstractly philosophical approach to the subject matter. Instead, it offered a fairly direct yet truncated history of American indigenous beer styles including steam beer and common beer. Chapters 3 & 4 were similar, each taking on historical topics in the same direct but truncated way.
Then chapters 5 (on foraging for ingredients) & 6 (on yeast) move out of history mode and instead offer a lot of practical advice for modern brewers. I found myself desiring greater depth in these chapters.
The remainder of the book (about half of the book's total length) is full of practical information about non-Reinheitsgebot ingredients used somewhat commonly (relatively) in brewing (I wished these entries had contained greater detail) and clone recipes for beers using these ingredients.
My review so far has seemed pretty negative, I guess. But, overall, I did like the book. However, I felt like it was a bit of bait and switch. The first chapter was stunning, and on the basis of that chapter alone I would rate this book 5 stars. But the rest of the book didn't follow from those opening pages. Sure, some of it has been (and will be) useful, but it's not as useful as it could have been.
Here's what I want from a book like this: theory and science. I want some big picture concepts to work with and then to be able to apply those concepts myself. I appreciate having some sample recipes, but when about a third of the book is devoted to them, that's just too much.
I would love to read the book that chapter 1 made me think this book would be: a beautifully-written creative non-fiction account of "brewing local." A kind of a Mind of a Chef or Chef's Table or something like that for brewers who brew local. That would be a cool book, and if Stan Hieronymus wanted to get on writing that book, well, that'd be just swell, and I'd be first in line to buy it.
June 30, 2019
Helped get me thinking about other flavors. Also, opens up many ideas about how to go about developing a brew local ingredients mind set. The section on plants was fun as I realized I pass so many of these plants on my hiking all the time w/o realizing what they are and their potential for brewing.
December 8, 2021
Interesting read; my big complaint is that it's more theoretical than practical. The sample recipes are a good reference point to start brewing outside the style guideline box, however, some info on usage rates for commonly available ingredients would be extremely helpful.
August 24, 2022
Two part book. The first half is a rundown of broadly defined "local" ingredients, and breweries making representative beers; as such the material is a snapshot from 2015 or so. The second half is a reference for potential ingredients and sample recipes - a good source of ideas.
May 28, 2018
Good recipes and resource for adding ingredients to beer. Initial treatment is a little unfocussed.
May 3, 2017
The history and brewers' stories are fantastic, if a little scattered - clearly the result of enough information to fill three books this size being pared down to one. There are absolutely some unique and inspiring beer stories here. Recommended if you've brewed or at least done enough brewery tours to know the process; recommended as a borrow rather than a buy if you don't brew since at least 1/3 of the page count is about ingredients and recipes. I'm looking forward to flipping through those next time I'm looking for something to brew...
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews