INTRODUCTION

Sophie Atherton

Humans have been brewing and drinking beer for millennia, but the last couple of decades can be seen as one of the most – if not the most – exciting periods to be a beer drinker. Immediately beforehand, the choice was between cold, yellow, fizzy lager or not-so-fizzy brown beer, which in the UK largely meant cask ale. Cask ale packed more flavour, but for many it still wasn’t much to choose from. In some places lager was the only option – sometimes it still is. But there is an incredible new world of beer beyond it, awash with an amazing variety of delicious drinks to choose from. This is the wonder of beer. Although the craft brewing revolution has successfully added all manner of fruits, spices and plants (such as tea, coffee and chocolate) to beer, it is still most often made from just four ingredients: malted barley, water, yeast and hops. Within those four ingredients exists such diversity and variety that by careful selection, and adjusting techniques and recipes accordingly, brewers can produce hundreds of different types of beer – each with its own unique flavour. The range of alcoholic strengths, from virtually zero to as strong as spirits, is also astonishing. There truly is a beer for everyone; all tastes are catered for.

The excitement has been infectious. All around the world numbers of breweries have increased. Global corporations still do their best to dominate, but more and more places now have a small, local brewer. Interest in these artisanal craft beer producers remains strong, even in the face of decreasing beer sales. Drinking less but better is a big part of the craft beer philosophy, which is why understanding more about what you’re drinking is definitely an advantage.

How the book works

In the following pages, I and five fellow beer writers walk you through the beer world. We all adore beer and during our respective careers have amassed a sizeable amount of knowledge about it. We can’t share all of it here, but we’ll give you the best introduction we can, to enjoying beer as much as we do. The seven chapters attempt to package beer into drinkable measures – because we don’t want to get you drunk. The Basics is the beery foundation upon which the book sits. It shows where beer originally came from, clears up the beer versus lager conundrum, demonstrates that beer isn’t just something ‘chugged’ in pints and offers explanation of why some beer is fizzier than others. In History, we flesh out these topics, looking a little more closely at the origins of beer, some of its key players and significant historic periods. Next comes Brewing, where we tell you how beer is made and from what. Then we look at different types of beer, or Beer Styles. This chapter is a mixture of history, detail of how beer’s ingredients produce different results and what they taste like. Beer Culture is a round-the-world trip visiting major brewing nations and locations – looking at where beer has come from and how it’s developed depending on where it’s brewed. The Beer Industry looks at how beer is sold to us and influences on the trade. We saved the best till last. Beer Appreciation aims to demonstrate the value of understanding what you’re tasting; how to spot the worst and get the best from beer; considers tasting opportunities and introduces a cast of characters who judge, write about and campaign for beer.

For each of the topics, the 3-Second Taster gives an instant overview, the 30-Second Beer tells you the detail and the 3-Minute Brew offers extra information to whet your appetite for finding out more – either by reading or tasting. Whether you are new to beer, rediscovering it, or just reminding yourself of the hows, whys and wheres, we hope that you’ll enjoy this book, preferably with a glass of delicious beer close to hand.