American Craft Beer delivers craft beer news, entertainment and lifestyle 24/7 and because we do, we’re occasionally sent books to review. And we recently received a book that takes “localism” and brewing techniques to an intriguing new level.

Brewing Local: American-Grown Beer by Stan Hieronymus is both an historical examination of the native ingredients that have influenced the beers that we drink and an invaluable resource for those of us who brew today.

A new addition to the Brewers Publications’ growing family of some of the best books and brewing, Hieronymus’ latest is smart, entertaining and usable.

With a forward written by the always engaging Sam Calagione (no stranger himself when it comes to brewing with the unusual) Brewing Local argues for the value of localism as an artisan philosophy, and its importance in the evolution of craft brewing today.

This whole thing’s not new, after all brewers have been using local ingredients since pre-Columbian times. It’s just that the American craft beer movement has fostered a new climate of openness and adventurous brewing where a spirit of “anything goes” also becomes “what can I find in my neck of the woods.”

Brewing Local is a field guide like none other. You’ll explore the nuts and bolts of foraging for beer and the magic of found yeast. You’ll learn about the plants and trees you can use in the brewing process, about the roots that are helpful, about the mushrooms and chiles you might want to consider.

But it doesn’t stop there…

Brewing Local is also a serious collection of brewing recipes that emphasize using local and less frequently thought of ingredients. All explained in a way that they can be easily understood by both the novice and the professional brewer.

If exploring local flavor using cultivated and foraged ingredients is your thing, we predict that you’ll find Brewing Local an essential addition to your library. Stan Hieronymus gets beer and brewing like few people do, and his latest on “American-grown beer” will change your walk in the woods forever.

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Homepage photo credit – Pedro Moura Pinheiro