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Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink
This completely updated second edition of the best-selling beer resource features the most current information on beer styles, flavor profiles, sensory evaluation guidelines, craft beer trends, food and beer pairings, and draft beer systems. You’ll learn to identify the scents, colors, flavors, mouth-feel, and vocabulary of the major beer styles — including ales, lagers, weissbeirs, and Belgian beers — and develop a more nuanced understanding of your favorite brews with in-depth sections on recent developments in the science of taste. Spirited drinkers will also enjoy the new section on beer cocktails that round out this comprehensive volume.
1010 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
702 people are currently reading
1621 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
November 23, 2012
This book made me really thirsty. Seriously -- it took me over a month to read it, because I couldn't sit down with it without a glass of beer to keep me company. It's impossible to read the lush descriptions of malt and hops without sipping along on something with those flavors.
I learned a lot from this book. I now know why I hate IPAs and why I love nut brown ales. I want to make myself a Black Velvet (a cocktail that's half stout and half champagne). I want to try practically every style mentioned in the book at least once.
I was a beer fan already. I may have just turned into a full-on beer geek because of Mosher's writing.
One small complaint, though: in the section on fruity witbiers, Mosher says 'Chick beers' are what beer geeks call these." This implies that a) beer geeks are all male; b) women can't appreciate good beer; and c) male beer geeks are misogynists. Not cool, Mr. Mosher. Not cool at all.
I learned a lot from this book. I now know why I hate IPAs and why I love nut brown ales. I want to make myself a Black Velvet (a cocktail that's half stout and half champagne). I want to try practically every style mentioned in the book at least once.
I was a beer fan already. I may have just turned into a full-on beer geek because of Mosher's writing.
One small complaint, though: in the section on fruity witbiers, Mosher says 'Chick beers' are what beer geeks call these." This implies that a) beer geeks are all male; b) women can't appreciate good beer; and c) male beer geeks are misogynists. Not cool, Mr. Mosher. Not cool at all.
May 7, 2009
If asked "why do you like beer so much," it would be difficult to find a better answer than "read Tasting Beer and you'll figure it out." Mosher is well-known in the world of beer geekery and homebrewing, with years of experience under his belt, and this book clearly demonstrates his knowledge and passion for brew.
Everything about the book is extremely enjoyable. While many experts and aficionados talk about their topics of interest in a way that makes them seem elitist or holier-than-thou, Mosher never once crosses this line. He clearly speaks from his passion for beer and brewing, and his enthusiasm and passion quickly transfers to the reader. The book covers a number of topics, from the history of the beverage, how to analyze beer while tasting it, and different styles of beer and their history from around the world. It's impeccably designed, as well, and features fantastic typography and photography - truly showing off the beauty of beer and the companies that make it.
The only minor quibbles one might have is that Mosher occasionally repeats bits of information between different sections, but it's hardly a major issue in the least. It's dirt cheap, well-written, beautifully designed, and chock full of great information. A must-own for any beer lover.
Everything about the book is extremely enjoyable. While many experts and aficionados talk about their topics of interest in a way that makes them seem elitist or holier-than-thou, Mosher never once crosses this line. He clearly speaks from his passion for beer and brewing, and his enthusiasm and passion quickly transfers to the reader. The book covers a number of topics, from the history of the beverage, how to analyze beer while tasting it, and different styles of beer and their history from around the world. It's impeccably designed, as well, and features fantastic typography and photography - truly showing off the beauty of beer and the companies that make it.
The only minor quibbles one might have is that Mosher occasionally repeats bits of information between different sections, but it's hardly a major issue in the least. It's dirt cheap, well-written, beautifully designed, and chock full of great information. A must-own for any beer lover.
February 15, 2023
Since I started homebrewing a couple of years ago, I've read almost two dozen books on beer and brewing, and I'd estimate about a hundred blog posts and articles. Few of those have been anywhere near as delightful as Randy Mosher's Tasting Beer. Mosher's love of this agricultural/culinary art form is manifest in every word and every figure of this book. He lovingly describes each style in visceral, sensuous detail. He illuminates the history of beer and beer-making (even the boring taxation aspects) with animation and spirit. He brings beer to life in a way only exceeded by actually literally pouring an effervescent and spirited Belgian tripel into a chalice and lifting it to you mouth.
If you know someone who loves beer, even if they have zero interest in ever making it, this is just about the perfect gift.
If you know someone who loves beer, even if they have zero interest in ever making it, this is just about the perfect gift.
March 2, 2018
Excellent guide on beer for both novices and pros. Personally, I loved the chapters on context of beer brewing in history and chapters describing in detail ales, IPAs, etc.
Even though I'm not a beer pro in any way, I was very happy to discover a world after the ever present pilsners. It's just like with specialty coffee, the whole concept of finer (or just different) tastes seems extremely snobish at first. In reality, it's just finding your way around a variety of craft beers and learning what tastes and aromas you naturally like.
I would recommend this book for any and all who drink beer.
Even though I'm not a beer pro in any way, I was very happy to discover a world after the ever present pilsners. It's just like with specialty coffee, the whole concept of finer (or just different) tastes seems extremely snobish at first. In reality, it's just finding your way around a variety of craft beers and learning what tastes and aromas you naturally like.
I would recommend this book for any and all who drink beer.
March 19, 2021
I've been reading this book for about 9 months now and was finally able to get through it. I read this book to help me prepare for the Certified Beer Server exam which I have now passed. Mosher is a household name in the beer world. Definitely a book to read if you're looking to learn more about the beer and the history of it.
September 6, 2011
Very helpful for a relatively new craft beer drinker. Looking forward to continuing my beer journey.
January 8, 2012
I had a little trouble rating this. While it is interesting, I found it difficult to get through quickly. Part of that may be the way it is organized and all the distracting, but interesting, little sidebars, in the book. To me, it is more of a reference work and I've tabbed a number of pages that I know I will want to go back to at some future point. He provides a lot of historical information about the development of beer, indeed he is not alone in declaring it, along with bread, as the food that made civilization possible. Sometimes I think what some of the fanatics causing such grief and destruction in our world would be well served by sitting down with a brew and tailing out their problems.
He explores the various styles of beer and, like most of those in the craft beer business, doesn't have much nice to say about what they call American Adjunct Lager (Budweiser, Miller, Coors) - tasteless stuff served as cold as possible to hide the lack of taste. He explains the range of tastes and why the taste map of the tongue often referred to by wine guides is wrong.
He offers information about food pairings but I would have preferred a more organized rendition of his recommendations. It is there but you will have to work to find it again when you want to refer to it.
He explores the various styles of beer and, like most of those in the craft beer business, doesn't have much nice to say about what they call American Adjunct Lager (Budweiser, Miller, Coors) - tasteless stuff served as cold as possible to hide the lack of taste. He explains the range of tastes and why the taste map of the tongue often referred to by wine guides is wrong.
He offers information about food pairings but I would have preferred a more organized rendition of his recommendations. It is there but you will have to work to find it again when you want to refer to it.
November 21, 2013
Абсолютно фантастична книжка і must-read для всіх поціновувачів пива
February 15, 2019
I decided to lump both Randy Mosher's Tasting Beer and Joshua Bernstein's The Complete Beer Course into one communal review and post it twice, because both books turn out to cover almost exactly the same ground and are of almost exactly the same quality. That quality is great, though, don't get me wrong, in both cases exhausting looks at the process by which beer is actually made, followed up by a detailed examination of roughly 100 different types of beer around the world, and what makes each one different from the other 99. If you were unaware that there even is a hundred different types of beer in the world, these books will probably be way more information than you ever wanted; but if you're already a casual beer fan, and find yourself at the liquor store pondering what the difference is between British pale ale and India pale ale, you'll want to not only read these gorgeous coffeetable books but own a personal copy of them, so that you can refer to them again and again as you commence your beer adventures.
May 16, 2020
Bit of a conundrum: there are large parts of this book which are very hard to take in because of the technical complexity of the processes they describe; there are other parts I'm not really all that interested in (eg the procedures that are followed in judging beer competitions); and even in the remaining more straight-forward parts, covering history or describing beer styles there is a lot of repetition. Yet nonetheless I found this a really admirable book, and one I am bound to return to.
Compared to say wine or spirits beer is a complicated drink to make. At every stage the brewer makes a range of decisions, which both individually and through their interactions, determine what the final product is going to taste like. I've been walked through these processes many times before, but never in such detail. As a result of reading this book I feel I know more than I did, but less than I ought to. Some background in chemistry would probably help!
But even if there are bits I didn't quite get there are some very useful tips, for example on pouring beer and on the beer styles of Germany, which hitherto have been something of a blindspot.
Compared to say wine or spirits beer is a complicated drink to make. At every stage the brewer makes a range of decisions, which both individually and through their interactions, determine what the final product is going to taste like. I've been walked through these processes many times before, but never in such detail. As a result of reading this book I feel I know more than I did, but less than I ought to. Some background in chemistry would probably help!
But even if there are bits I didn't quite get there are some very useful tips, for example on pouring beer and on the beer styles of Germany, which hitherto have been something of a blindspot.
July 18, 2020
Якісний посібник з пива, але не скажу, що вдалося прочитати на одному диханні. Дуже багато інформації, тому раджу читати лише тим, хто дійсно зацікавлений в тематиці і готовий прочитати не тільки цю книжку, але й купу додаткових матеріалів. Хотілося би, щоб краще була описана класифікація стилів, і чіткіше окреслена різниця між ними, так як непідготовлений читач може в цьому губитися. Окремо хочу відзначити якісний друк від ВСЛ, гарне ілюстроване видання, яке приємно тримати в руках. Чудове надбання для книжкової полиці.
April 24, 2018
Very comprehensive and fun to read. You'll learn a lot. The parts about Belgian beers are all very correct as far as I can tell. I even got the audio version on Audible, still very enjoyable given the amount of lists in the book. The narrator has a hard time with the pronunciation of everything in Dutch, German and French (hard to decipher and a bit funny too at times).
July 9, 2023
Lots of interesting content. Good tasting descriptors and history of different beer types. I listened to the audible and it feels like this one is much better read in traditional format. Clearly there were charts or tables which when hearing read were mundane. I also thought the organization was bit random and in some areas repetitive. It was ok. Feel short of my expectations. Probable best non-audible.
did-not-finish
March 12, 2018Not enough info I didn't know to keep reading...
May 30, 2020
A must read if you truly love beer!
December 17, 2023
Cannot recommend this book enough if you like beer. Utterly fascinating. It's a history book about beer. So so good.
January 3, 2021
Great intro to the world of craft beer
December 13, 2017
There. I read a book for work!
July 26, 2019
There is a lot of knowledge in the book, but is it well written and fun to read. Chapters about tasting and history are fantastic and very insightful. Parts about food paring and beer examples are written in a US-centric way, but apart from this the book is well suited for an European reader as well, as metric units are provided in nearly all cases. A must-read for a beer geek.
August 7, 2025
This is an excellent reference book. I did the Audible version of it, which was awful. I'm a big consumer of audiobooks, and some just aren't suited for the format. This book is full of lists and numbers (there's a lot of measuring in beer tasting) that are mind-numbing when listening to them. It is so full of great info, however, that I am going to buy the paperback verion.
July 9, 2013
Having had my fill of epic fantasy and philosophy for the time being, I decided it was time for something completely different: beer. Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer is a detailed instruction manual for becoming not only a learned taster of beer, but a serious professional. Mosher’s expertise is well-represented in this book, but his style is simple and flowing, making it easy for even a novice to understand and appreciate his wisdom. His work exudes passion, not pretentiousness, making it an enjoyable educational experience. His only obvious bias is that he is no fan of mass produced American beers but, considering the subject of his work, that is hardly surprising. It is also unlikely to bother the reader, since people content with Bud, Miller, and Coors probably would not have picked this book up in the first place.
Beyond that, there isn’t much to say, other than that there is a lot of information in this book, from interesting tidbits to serious (albeit intelligible) science. The author covers a brief history of beer, the way in which one’s senses experience beer, the brewing process, the qualities of beer, proper tasting and presentation procedure, pairing beer with food, styles of beer, and tips for communal beer drinking, which, he implores, is essential to becoming an expert. All this means that there is too much to absorb on the first go, although it is helpful that Mosher occasionally repeats key information where it is essential to his discussion. Think of this as a textbook for the beer drinking experience, with an emphasis on professional tastings and judging, and as a reference manual designed to give the reader a new appreciation for the beverage. Everything you need to become a connoisseur is here except, of course, the actual beer.
Beyond that, there isn’t much to say, other than that there is a lot of information in this book, from interesting tidbits to serious (albeit intelligible) science. The author covers a brief history of beer, the way in which one’s senses experience beer, the brewing process, the qualities of beer, proper tasting and presentation procedure, pairing beer with food, styles of beer, and tips for communal beer drinking, which, he implores, is essential to becoming an expert. All this means that there is too much to absorb on the first go, although it is helpful that Mosher occasionally repeats key information where it is essential to his discussion. Think of this as a textbook for the beer drinking experience, with an emphasis on professional tastings and judging, and as a reference manual designed to give the reader a new appreciation for the beverage. Everything you need to become a connoisseur is here except, of course, the actual beer.
November 30, 2010
bought this after hearing Randy Mosher speak at the American Homebrewers Association Conference in Oakland... he provides a very entertaining and informative look at all aspects of enjoying beer. He reviews the history of beer, how the brewing process contributes to the resulting product, and how to evaluate beer, not only from a judging perspective but also from a pure enjoyment perspective. The book is full of interesting little facts, such as the fact that the "tongue map" of sensations we've all seen is completely discredited, and how much of the design of glassware, especially for wine, is based on these faulty assumptions about how taste works.
I really enjoyed Mosher's ideas on beer and food pairing, especially IPA & carrot cake! His descriptions of the different beer cultures of different nations and the resulting styles that are brewed today was quite informative. For a beer geek that prefers something a little more narrative and a little less technical than the BJCP guidelines, Mosher's descriptions may provide a useful introduction to styles you've never tried.
I really enjoyed Mosher's ideas on beer and food pairing, especially IPA & carrot cake! His descriptions of the different beer cultures of different nations and the resulting styles that are brewed today was quite informative. For a beer geek that prefers something a little more narrative and a little less technical than the BJCP guidelines, Mosher's descriptions may provide a useful introduction to styles you've never tried.
February 14, 2023
The first third of this book does a fantastic job of teaching the reader all about the history of beer, the types, the culture, tasting etc. The remainder is a very well presented reference for tasting and beer varieties. I always enjoy picking this up.
December 20, 2019
If you're trying to learn about beer, this book is outstanding. It has to be one of the best medium-length guides to all things beer, including tasting, history by region, a bit on brewing, serving, glassware, a bit on draught systems, flavors, off-flavors, colors, a bit on pairings, and fairly extensive (though limited) introductions to all styles, even historical ones. If you're pleasure reading, it might be a bit much, but if you're intermediate to advanced in learning about the world's most versatile beverage, this is a must-read.
September 5, 2011
I read this for a class I was taking, and found it to be quite an enjoyable textbook! There is a wealth of information in the book, and many excellent illustrations. The beer/food pairing section is especially good. My only complaint is that the book wasn't organized quite as well as I wish it had been...it seemed a little jumbled at times. Overall, quite an enjoyable and informative read, and WOW, does that guy love beer!!
December 23, 2009
I read this for a book club. It's a great reference to have, but not the kind of book to read straight through. I learned a lot and now would like to try brewing at home in order to learn more about the brewing process. He mentions a lot of neat events his organization puts on in Chicago that I'd like to attend. Highly recommended.
July 12, 2013
While a little repetitive at times this book does a great job explaining the origins of beer, the specifics of beer tasting as well as the nuances that make each type of beer different. Good for any casual beer fan looking to learn more about the history behind the beer they are drinking. This book has earned a prominent spot on my coffee table!
January 6, 2014
An excellent book that covers everything you'd want to know about beer. Includes many perspectives (historical, scientific, culinary) and breaks down every beer style imaginable. Whether you want to know what cheese pairs best with a Doppelbock or how the industrial revolution helped the proliferation of lagers, this book has it.
And now that I am thirsty, I must conclude this review.
And now that I am thirsty, I must conclude this review.
November 20, 2011
I am flipping back and forth through this book. I have tons of bartending books and this is the best one on beer that I've ever come across. Highly recommend this book.
September 5, 2013
Interesting, but for serious beer geeks only!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews