A Quart of Ale± #93
On the craft journey with The Beer Bible.
First published in 2015, The Beer Bible has been fully updated by author Jeff Alworth (see his Beervana website here) and this second edition was published late last year. We take a quick look to give you some idea of what is packed into its well over 600 pages….
Jeff starts with an invite: Whoever you are in beer, newbie or expert, and whatever your reasons, thumb through and drop into the sections that interest you. This doorstopper of a book is designed to be read in pieces.
It is an updated and extensive reference book of beer and will remain so for years to come. Not just craft beer, by the way. The bible will get you familiar with the current scene but if you want to delve into the history of beer, well that’s there too.
You’ll find articles on traditions, styles and on “beers to know” within each style, on places to visit in your quest for a good drink and knowledge or both. Interesting, sometimes quirky shorts here and there such as Pliny the Elder recommending hops, long before they were used to spice beer, for their tasty shoots which he called “Gallic Asparagus”.
Undoubtedly, there is much to know about beer but, as the author says ”you don’t need to take a college course in theory to understand…”. You don't have to be a mechanic to be able to enjoy driving. For all that, a little extra knowledge will help the beer drinker along the route of discovery.
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Just a brick in the wall!
Bradleys |
And the good news, Alworth declares, is that the beer drinker has never had it so good. The choice is huge! And confusing! I’m regularly bemused when I visit the legendary "wall of beer" in Bradleys - Cork city’s most famous craft beer bottle shop (which started life as a diary in 1850).
The book will help you find not necessarily the best beer in the world but more likely your favourite styles from the many available nowadays. It will certainly point you in the direction of better beer. And the best beer in the world?
Well that would be a jug of Einbecker beer, the “best beer known to man” according to no less than Martin Luther, defending himself in front of the Assembly of the Holy Roman Empire. Einbeck, always associated with quality was, even before the 16th century, a famous beer-exporting town and is featured in Alworth’s discussion of Bocks, Germany’s strong “sipping beers”.
Good guidance from Jeff in the 644 pages of The Beer Bible but you’ll have to do some “work” yourself, do a bit more than just read. He encourages you to experience the beer and that means slowing down a little, ignoring what is going on around you (even if you miss Ronaldo’s latest goal), giving you the space to see, smell, sip and swallow. Not very difficult and the rewards are high!
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| From Baltimore, West Cork |
There are six key parts (I'm calling them sections) in The Bible. The first gives you your bearings - the 12,000 year history of beer is summarised and you get to begin to understand national traditions along with how beer is made from water, grain, hops, and yeast, and how to taste it like a brewer.
And he doesn’t just skim the surface here, or in any other section. For instance, there is a detailed diagram showing the “Anatomy of a Hop” and a page on wild yeasts and bacteria. The info is relayed without any great reliance on long multi-syllable words that might turn an amateur off. Of course, necessary terms such as Brettanomyces, are included.
Section 2 concentrates on the Classic Ales, from English Bitters to European Ales, from stouts to weizens. “The world’s best bitters come from Britain…” he declares. And the British beer family, based on its long original craft traditions, on its hop growing and on its brewing skills, get a well deserved series of pages of coverage packed with terrific insight.
In the pages on stout and porter we read: “By the 1840s, more than 80 percent of Guinness’s rapidly growing capacity was comprised of stout… much was shipped to England.... Ireland’s deep thirst for porters and stouts was such that it could support three large breweries: Guinness in Dublin and Beamish and Murphys in Cork.” The modern Guinness Foreign Extra Stout gets a big thumbs up with Porterhouse Plain Porter and O’Hara’s Leann Folláin sharing the limelight.
Much, much more, detail in Section 2 which runs to over 200 pages and includes excellent information on quite a few countries, Britain as mentioned, and especially on Belgium’s fascinating beer history and on the equally fascinating beers themselves.
Section 3 is all about the Classic Lagers, dark to gold, well known and lesser known. Nowhere near as long as the previous section, yet it is a large chunk of pages and very comprehensive, even including a few pages on mass-market beers. Coverage on German and Czech lagers is detailed.
Insightful pages abound, like the one entitled “The Great Decoction Debate”, an interesting little read for many, including the crew at Dublin’s Whiplash no doubt!
Author Jeff takes a look at mass-market lagers, pointing out that, contrary to many craft aficionado’s opinions, there can be differences between them and he hints strongly that the Italian Peroni may be the best of the European offerings.
Having read this section, you’ll have a good idea about pale lagers, Pilsners, Helles, Dortmund Exports, amber lagers like Marzens and Viennas, and the really dark ones such as Dunkels and Schwarzbiers, and about the mid European lager tradition in general. Also the history behind it, with border changes and population expulsions all part of the story.
And then there’s the "Budweiser Conundrum”, the long lasting story of more than a century of rancour and lawsuits. The tale of the two Budweisers is “full of drama and irony” and is briefly related here.
Through the book, some fascinating beer visits (pilgrimages!) are detailed. In this Section, you can plan a trip to Austria “on the trail of Vienna lager, or to Plzeñ (Pilsen) in Czechia, the home of the original Pilsner.
Lots of loose ends and disputes in and around lager but most agree that when you sip one “you’re largely experiencing the soft wholesome flavour of the malts and the delicate spice of the hops…” And we love it. Remember that lager makes up “ more than 90% of the world’s beer production…” Cheers!
Lesser known styles are covered in Section 4. A highlight for me was the author’s visit to Germany’s Bamberg and his story of its Rauchbiers, starting in the Spezial Brewery. And its crosstown rival Schlenkerla is the focus of a more detailed story a few pages later.
American IPAs “brewed as a celebration of hops” have quickly encircled the globe and that is confirmed and discussed in Section 5 which is entitled American Hoppy Ales. “In a conservative estimate, 40,000 are made each year in the United States alone”.
He lists quite a few of the leading examples and it looks as if Tree House is the current champion. Their “Punch” is the one to look out for with Jeff saying “it’s hard to believe only one hop (Galaxy) was used”. Will be difficult to get your hands on this though as it seems it’s available only at the brewery.
Info too on Sake beers and also on European Farmhouse Ales (mostly from Lithuania) and even on rarely seen ales in this country where ingredients may include herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables.
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| Yeast is king here! |
Tart and Wild Ales feature in Section 5 which is sub divided into pieces on the Lambic family, the Red-Brown Ales of Flanders, Tart German beers (Berliner Weisses and Roses) and Wild Ales.
Lambics are rare, made using a process of wild fermentation and here the author deals with “this ancient remnant, once almost extinct - this dinosaur we call clumsily “tart”, “sour” or “wild”".
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| Donegal's Kinnegar and their busy canning line |
Jeff lists some leading lambics by reliable producers and I know quite a few may be found in Ireland. Certainly Bradley’s carry a few including Boon Geuze Marriage Parfait. They stock quite a few Belgian producers including Cantillon and that brewery gets a few pages to itself in The Bible. Coolship Ales are yet another type of Belgian ale and Land & Labour in Galway are one of a handful of Irish brewers trying this method.
The Red-Brown ales of Flanders are available here, certainly the Rodenbach Grand Cru. This is the first example on the Bible list and indeed the brewery also gets a feature. And if you can’t get a Belgian import (even if you do!) try the excellent Old Brown by Mescan Brewery (one of the partners is a Belgian) that operates in County Mayo.
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| Mescan's Old Brown |
So now, you’ve read the book and gained your practical experience. What to do with all that knowledge and beer? Here's a Bible tip: remember when buying that brown bottles and cans are the best bet. Back now to Section Six to find out how to serve and store beer, how to pair it with food, how to enjoy it in the pub and indeed how to take a beer trip at home or abroad. He covers cellaring and the type of glass to use and much more.
Food and beer pairing can vary in importance from country to country. Belgian breweries, often with their own restaurants, give it a high importance and here in Ireland too brewers, at least some, provide matching info. Hard to beat Eight Degrees in that respect though Mescan’s website features an excellent flavour matching wheel. By the way, The Beer Bible says: “… no beers are as well suited to food as Amber lagers.”
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| A Rodenbach cocktail at a Franciscan Well Festival in Cork |
In the pub? Well, if you travel a lot, you’ll need to be able to say or shout cheers in many tongues - skål in Scandinavia, Gan Bēi in China, and Proost in Holland, along with Sláinte of course. The Bible has quite a few tips!
You'll see some very clear and informative charts throughout the book. And lots of photos. But most of these have had what looks like an old-fashioned filter applied; the results are generally dull, lacking sparkle. That's about the only downside though.
Quite an appendix brings this massive bible to a close. It includes a glossary and very interesting Style Origin Maps. And the all-important index for all that dipping in and dipping out and dipping in again and…… You may put this book down but never for long!
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| One of my top beers of 2021. Pic via Whiplash |
* The Beer Bible by Jeff Alworth, Workman Publishing 2021, $24.95. The first edition was published in 2015 and this second edition is fully revised and updated, so make sure you leave the bookshop with the one published in late 2021. It is available in Ireland via Eason’s and The Book Depository, among others.
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