American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
Was someone trying to tell us something?
We’ve reviewed books before at American Craft Beer.com and must have done something right, because on occasion publishers will advance us copies of books on beer to review. We recently received the 2nd edition of Beer For Dummies by Marty Nachel with Steve Ettlinger, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Most of you are familiar with the “For Dummies” series, and this is a welcome addition to that family. Beer for Dummies is a primer of sorts and a guide to the basics of beer. It’s informative, straightforward, unpretentious and fun. It’s a great book to have on hand for quick answers to all those questions you assume you should know by now – but don’t. And since there’s been so much happening of late in the world of beer, this updated edition is needed.
The 2nd edition has all kinds of updates – many about craft beer in particular. There’s new coverage on the various styles of beer found around the world, including real ale, barrel aged/wood aged beer, organic brews, and extreme beer. There’s updated profiles on the flavor and body of each beer, explaining why beers taste the way they do, as well as their strengths and ideal serving temperatures. There’s a travel guide to some of the best beer festivals in the world and a beer and pairing section we liked a lot.
The author is no slouch. Marty Nachel is a beer heavy who’s done it all. He’s a beer educator, an award-winning homebrewer, a BJCP Certified Beer Judge, on the panel of professional beer judges at the Great American Beer Festival, and a former beer evaluator at the Beverage Testing Institute. He is also the founder and administrator of the Ale-Conner Beer Certification Program. So, basically he knows a whole lot more than us, and that’s a good thing.
Steve Ettinger is the author of seven books, most of which are about food and food-related subjects, and that’s a good thing too.
