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Beer and Racism: How Beer Became White, Why It Matters, and the Movements to Change It
Beer in the United States has always been bound up with race, racism, and the construction of white institutions and identities. Given the very quick rise of craft beer, as well as the myopic scholarly focus on economic and historical trends in the field, there is an urgent need to take stock of the intersectional inequalities that such realities gloss over. This unique book carves a much-needed critical and interdisciplinary path to examine and understand the racial dynamics in the craft beer industry and the popular consumption of beer.
- GenresNonfiction
228 pages, Paperback
Published October 14, 2020
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64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 22, 2021
Read for our work book club. I think this book is really ~3.5 star worthy, but I also feel the need to counteract the 1-star reviews from racists who have clearly never read the book.
An academic work, seemingly not intended for an average beer fan, this book brings to light a wide variety of issues and discrepancies in craft beer’s history and contemporary existence. Unfortunately, it raises far more questions than potential solutions, and though it does posit itself as “the start of the conversation”, it would be nice if there was more in the way of calls to action for the reader. The book seems at times exceptionally well researched, and at others thin in the backing for its own assertions. Large sections of the book are based on interviews the authors conducted with fifteen research subjects (8 black, 5 white, 2 latinx), which seems an exceedingly small sample size to pull such sweeping generalizations from.
Still, this book is a worthwhile read on an important topic, and anyone immersed in the beer industry would do well to use this as a lens through which future experiences can be re-examined.
An academic work, seemingly not intended for an average beer fan, this book brings to light a wide variety of issues and discrepancies in craft beer’s history and contemporary existence. Unfortunately, it raises far more questions than potential solutions, and though it does posit itself as “the start of the conversation”, it would be nice if there was more in the way of calls to action for the reader. The book seems at times exceptionally well researched, and at others thin in the backing for its own assertions. Large sections of the book are based on interviews the authors conducted with fifteen research subjects (8 black, 5 white, 2 latinx), which seems an exceedingly small sample size to pull such sweeping generalizations from.
Still, this book is a worthwhile read on an important topic, and anyone immersed in the beer industry would do well to use this as a lens through which future experiences can be re-examined.
September 22, 2020
Absolute garbage and not worth the time.
December 28, 2020
This book covers important material intelligently and thoughtfully. It is a book that ought to spark further analysis and discussion. This should be a 5-Star, tell-your-friends-to-read-it book to be excited about. Unfortunately, it is written so badly that it makes me want to ask the authors to try again, but let someone - anyone - edit it.
The book starts out terribly. It covers the basics of racism, but it is easy to get so annoyed by the writing that you cannot focus on the ugliness of the topic. The sentences plow on for dozens of words at a time. Each of those words is the longest variant available for its meaning. Seriously, they use "interrogate" for "ask" multiple times. The points made are completely valid and important, but the writing is AWFUL.
It's a shame, because this book has valuable ideas. The image of craft beer being dominated by white males is an accurate one, and it will continue to be accurate without a commitment to diversity and the hard work of outreach. It takes a bit of courage to point out the absence of diversity and question it, and this book accomplishes that.
The book starts out terribly. It covers the basics of racism, but it is easy to get so annoyed by the writing that you cannot focus on the ugliness of the topic. The sentences plow on for dozens of words at a time. Each of those words is the longest variant available for its meaning. Seriously, they use "interrogate" for "ask" multiple times. The points made are completely valid and important, but the writing is AWFUL.
It's a shame, because this book has valuable ideas. The image of craft beer being dominated by white males is an accurate one, and it will continue to be accurate without a commitment to diversity and the hard work of outreach. It takes a bit of courage to point out the absence of diversity and question it, and this book accomplishes that.
January 3, 2021
It should be harder to publish a book.
What noun can we take and write a book about, that nobody else has, and probably hasn't for good reason? Craft beer could of been replaced with anything from guitars to Kindles.
Of all the trash I read this year, I will give this one credit for having some interesting moments, but the main problem with this book is they came up with a topic, and had to find a way to get their facts to support that. The problem with that is there aren't many, so there is a lot of fat to this. That is not to say that their hasn't been racist issues of marketing or exclusions of some groups over others, but the writers have jumped on the bandwagon of white people that will say all whites are bad, but obviously these white people aren't because they are calling it out.
Other issues rise from their small sample group that they even admit themselves is small and therefore not the end all, be all, but then treat it as the end all, be all for their reasoning. The solutions to the issues presented by these "academics" are simple enough that my 3 year old daughter does them naturally already.
With all the issues with racism and racist ideas in our society, writing a book on the beer/craft beer industry seems small and pointless. It would be like writing a book about how band aids are too expensive when you are trying to point out that the health industry is too costly.
Anyone who wants to end racism and racist ideas has their heart in the right place, but throwing a dart at a topic and seeing where it sticks to use as the basis of your book, well, you get this product. Other books that I have disagreed with or disliked, I still encourage people to read, as in the case of In Defense of Looting, but this work isn't interesting enough to even suggest that.
Books like this cause people to not enjoy reading.
Good day...I SAID GOOD DAY!
What noun can we take and write a book about, that nobody else has, and probably hasn't for good reason? Craft beer could of been replaced with anything from guitars to Kindles.
Of all the trash I read this year, I will give this one credit for having some interesting moments, but the main problem with this book is they came up with a topic, and had to find a way to get their facts to support that. The problem with that is there aren't many, so there is a lot of fat to this. That is not to say that their hasn't been racist issues of marketing or exclusions of some groups over others, but the writers have jumped on the bandwagon of white people that will say all whites are bad, but obviously these white people aren't because they are calling it out.
Other issues rise from their small sample group that they even admit themselves is small and therefore not the end all, be all, but then treat it as the end all, be all for their reasoning. The solutions to the issues presented by these "academics" are simple enough that my 3 year old daughter does them naturally already.
With all the issues with racism and racist ideas in our society, writing a book on the beer/craft beer industry seems small and pointless. It would be like writing a book about how band aids are too expensive when you are trying to point out that the health industry is too costly.
Anyone who wants to end racism and racist ideas has their heart in the right place, but throwing a dart at a topic and seeing where it sticks to use as the basis of your book, well, you get this product. Other books that I have disagreed with or disliked, I still encourage people to read, as in the case of In Defense of Looting, but this work isn't interesting enough to even suggest that.
Books like this cause people to not enjoy reading.
Good day...I SAID GOOD DAY!
June 13, 2021
First full book on this topic, it’s a tough read. While it is well researched and filled with interesting history, information, and conclusions, the actual writing doesn’t lend itself to an enjoyable experience. The foreword was the most interesting and lasting part. This is primarily an academic work, maybe to be better treated as a trove of information about racism in the beer industry- primarily a reference than a page turner. For anyone interested in the current shifts in US culture and especially the sociology and culture around beer, it’s a good book to have on your shelf.
September 8, 2024
I reject the very premise of this book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews