The Story of Craft Beer

by Pete Brown

This little book will arm you with the knowledge you need to get the most out of your own craft beer adventure.
There's never been a better time to be a beer drinker, but all this choice and all these styles can be a little bewildering. How much do you really need to know about hops? What if you get bored of them? What other beers are there if you didn't like them in the first place? And come to think of it, what exactly are hops and what do they do in beer? How can you have a black IPA when IPA stands for 'India Pale Ale'? And if it's called India Pale Ale, why is it made in America?

Genres: Beer, Nonfiction, Education, Reference

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Pete Brown is an English writer who has written extensively on the subject of beer and drinking cultures around the world. He has written three books; Man Walks Into a Pub, Three Sheets to the Wind, and Hops and Glory. Brown was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire and now lives in London.

Above bio is from Wikipedia. Photo is from Flickr user epicbeer.

Reviews

[Michael Ferreira Guest · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been seeking to drink and taste different beers since May 2017. That's equated to just under 700 unique beers in 3 years (ref @soy_cerveza on Untappd at time of writing). Not a huge amount, not a newbie quantity either.

This is the first beer book I've read and now find myself annoyed it's taken me this long to get in to beer literature. For me, this is the perfect introductory craft beer book which concisely sets out the basics and inspires you to go deeper on a craft beer journey.

It INTRODUCES you to the core ingredients, the manufacturing process, the different styles, how to really taste a beer, the big hitting beer countries and their key destinations, the ones to keep an eye out on in the future (beer tourism in Brazil anyone?) and a little bit about home brewing.

I encourage all newcomers to craft beer to give this a read. It doesn't take long to read and it might just be the catalyst for a lifetime of enjoyment.

🍻

[Alex George · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains the phrase 'the hopped wort', which is more than enough to get it 3 stars. Plus an extra star for being genuinely very interesting.

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

A freebie with the Beer52 craft beer subscription, this is a decent enough run through of Craft Beer as a phenomenon although few readers will require another description of how beer is made (tip: the best way to approach this is to book into a brewery tour). The volume thankfully steers clear of the craft v cask debate for the most part. As a lover of both, there should surely be house room for both, even if Wetherspoon and its Brexit worshipping antics have continued to cast real ale in a bad light. Weirdly, both beer styles attract men with beards and one wonders whether the stereotypical hipster will be clinging on to facial growth into their seventies a bit like the brylcreemed ex-Teddy boys I would see hobbling the streets in my 1980s youth. I liked the way fashionable beers of the moment from breweries such as Siren and Kernel are used to illustrate beer styles. Covid could be troublesome for Craft Beer – the premium prices will be even harder to swallow for the legions who are now out of work while 95% of the beers remain hoppy IPAs (my favourite style) and the percentages don’t suit session drinkers. Long may it all continue though – a dispassionate volume spelling out the movements strengths and weaknesses is a book I would want to read. This isn’t that.

[Cameron Krogh Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect introduction to beer. In this dainty book, you will find the origins of humankind’s most beloved alcoholic beverage, and brief history of its development from 7000BC until today. You will learn how beer is made, how to taste, drink and make it yourself, of the various styles - and get some great examples of each to add to your to-taste list - as well as of the craft beer revolutions around the world.

This is by no means a comprehensive how-to guide for the budding brewer, nor a lengthy index of the greatest beers available today - it is simply a brief, tantalising intro, to act as a basis for your own exploration!

Highly recommended for anyone looking to enhance their appreciation of any beer that aspires to be more than “making love in a canoe”.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a very long pamphlet than an actual book - it stretches to 120 pages only through the extensive use of graphics and large typeface. If I'd paid for it I might feel cheated, but as a freebie that came with a beer subscription it was actually quite good at explaining lots of beery terminology that I only half-understood. I'm still not quite sure I know why there is such a thing as a black IPA, and I don't feel even remotely sold on the concept of a beer that tastes "like a teenager's bedroom, but in a good way" but I think I at least know what the difference between a lager and an ale is now, rather than just muttering "um, something to do with the yeast, isn't it..."

[Zach Webster · Rating 3 out of 5]

It hard to rate this like a normal book because it came free in a crate of beer, so does it count? Feels a bit weird. But I mean it serves it purpose, it’s a very basic guide to beer and the brewing process. It doesn’t do anything interesting to convey it’s information and it’s not particularly in depth. Does what it says on the tin

[Darrel Hofland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little book that will make you thirsty.
Easy to read.
Enjoyable. Love the author's humour and honesty.
The illustrations in the book are excellent too.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book free with an order, so didn't have high expectations. It proved really interesting though - pleasingly written, and offering an overview of the history and production of beer. There's a lot more nuance to the process that I had expected. Also, having read it, I'm now able to sport more of a pattern between the beers I've really liked (a minority) and the ones I haven't (or at least haven't like enough to try again), so in future I might be a bit better at choosing things I'm more likely to enjoy.

[Tina Ambury · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uninspiring and in places, downright annoying.
One for the recycling bin.

[Stieltjes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A neat little book, easy to read, that introduces the very basics of beer, its history, its craftsmanship, flavours and styles and its modern-day blooming into a personalized industry of microbrews stepping up to the challenge of the big, flavourless corporate producers.

The writing style is crisp and enticing, easy to follow and to the point. The author does a good job of introducing the broad types of beer available worldwide and does a brief overview of some of the countries at the forefront of the microbrewing revolution, while also casting an eye on the up-and-rising players to look out for in the near future. It's a great book as a starting point for any beer hobbyists or enthusiasts looking to understand their hobby more or even develop it into a passion. While it doesn't go into any details on any of its topics, it's a good pointer for further reading as it gives the reader a basic glossary of terms and concepts to research, while remaining a very light read.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s interesting yet brief. It gives you a basic background but not enough to rush out reciting facts to your friends while filling in an application for Mastermind. The illustrations are simple yet to the point; and there’s quite a focus on graphic design; perhaps as a space-filler. The history is vague, but then again Brown comments on events that weren’t really charted until they were identified as trends which were spotted afterwards. The main thing to take away from it is as little or as much you want; and experts may not learn anything new. It’s rather a flip-through coffee-table book to refresh your memory of what’s out there and to welcome new suppers into the fold; preferably reading with glass in hand. What it does make you do is to discover more; and it’s a shame that Brown doesn’t provide other avenues for further pursual. I’d be disappointed if I’d paid for it.

[Dasha Slepenkina · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a free book added with my beer subscription, there was nothing wrong with it but it also didn't change my life. I definitely learned a few fun facts about beer and had a few delightful moments of recognition when it came to discussing some of my favorite beers. To be honest, it was a bit too technical for me at times and had a lot of beer "lingo" that I've yet to understand. I'm not sure I've come away from it really having grasped what a "hoppy" taste is and how it's different from plain old bitter, or that the way I drink beer will have drastically changed. But I learned some new things and hey, the book came with my subscription. It was okay and worth a read, especially seeing as it's very short.

[Gavin Felgate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive guide to how Craft Beer is made, and providing advice for how to taste it.

Craft beer has definitely become a big thing during this century, and is something I am certainly interested in, tasting unusual beers rather than standard brand names that get sold in any pub or supermarket.

This was an enjoyable read, but it didn't feel like much more than a textbook; it would have been interesting to hear more about the author's views and persnal knowledge.

[Romysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't have high expectations but I am pleasantly surprised.
No technical nitty-gritty fancy talk that I was expecting to come across. Just plain and simple explenation about the world of beer. And to be fair I want to explore it even more after reading this. And not gonna lie, I might give it a go with the brewing at home at some point. I have now a little better understanding of what I'm downing in my local boozer.

[Lina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a big beer fan myself it was interesting to read about the 'new' history of beer. I would've preferred to find out more about some of the deep roots/beginnings of beer as well though. Slightly boring at times and has some annoying mistakes in the book. But overall a rather interesting broad description of main varieties of beer.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good piece of writing for newbies to the beer world. It's not overly simplified and patronising and has nuggets of information and wisdom I had not come across before.
I like the tone of the book, it's not pandering to a certain age group just stating facts and some opinions of the writer.

Was happy to get a beer52 box for this book.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, easy, breezy (and free!) read that acts as a decent introduction to the history and development of craft beer (and beer in general!). It doesn't go into great detail and isn't going to educate anyone who already knows their stuff, but it's a decent read with some good recommendations.

[Lump · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this pushes against the minimum threshold of information in print to be considered a “book.” More like a long pamphlet and certainly light on information with very little depth, but an easy and enjoyable read and I can’t say I didn’t learn anything!

[Peter Olding · Rating 2 out of 5]

For someone who knows nothing about craft beer it would be an interesting read. For anyone else maybe not. Its really only a overgrown pamphlet. I got it free with a subscription. I'd be jolly miffed if I paid the cover price for it.

[OttoTheBierDude Thebierdude · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok as it’s free and if you don’t know anything about beer. Otherwise more of a glorified pamphlet than a book. It touches on the basic stuff but goes no further. The history of countries brewing is less than basic. I was expecting more from this author. Disappointed

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting but brief introduction to the world of beer. For a complete newbie there's enough here to get you interested in craft beer, though I dare say experienced beer drinkers won't get much out of it.

[Simon Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, quick and easy to read and understand. A nice little high level summary of the history, current state and future of craft beer.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this book with my then Beer52 membership and enjoyed the scamper through this craft beer primer. Well written with a friendly and informative approach.

Worth areas if you are a beer lover!!

[Steven Pilling · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is what it is. Broad strokes decent information . Too general in parts but good introduction to subject if you need one

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read to open up the subject matter. Nothing too heavy.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A freebie with an online craft beer order, but a pleasantly precise and readable summary

[Alex Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great introduction :)

[Sean Brennan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice introduction into beer as a whole. Came free with my beer box.

[Keith Barraclough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good concise history.

[Adelaide · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to craft beer in a readable format