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Publisher: FT Press, 2010.
Hard Cover, 237 pages, 8.0 x 5.5.
Item #1649
Legendary beer expert Charlie Bamforth presents the most compelling social history of beer ever written: where it's come from, and where it's headed. From centuries-old cultural values to radical new approaches, craft brewing to globalization, it's an amazing story. Bamforth tells it all–with humor, behind-the-scenes insight, and sheer joy!
From the Back Cover:
"A delightful book that not only reaches the soul of brewing but also tells us much about the soul and humanity of the author. Bamforth skillfully weaves a holistic and philosophical story about our complex society and the positive role that beer has, does, and will play in it. It is a joy to read and will leave the reader refreshed in mind and soul."
---Simon Jackson, Executive Director, Institute of Brewing and Distilling, London, England
"A heartfelt account of beer that reads as though I'm sitting at a pub table across from the ‘Beer Professor' himself as he reveals personal tales and experiences over many pints of beer. A concise snapshot of the world of beer–past, present, and future. Remarkable insight into the behind-the-scenes world of beer."
---Charlie Papazian, Author of Complete Joy of Homebrewing; President, Brewers Association (USA); and Founder, Great American Beer Festival
Don't just drink beer: Experience it. All of it.
Discover the extraordinary culture and history of brewing: the remarkable craft that reaches back before written history. Visit legendary British pubs now fading sadly into memory…and the craft breweries, corporate boardrooms, and home brewers that are the new future of beer. Learn how to tell a great beer from a good one…find surprising new research on beer and human health…uncover beer in the Bible (and other unlikely places)…and discover divinity and transcendence in your very next brew.
Yes, there's more to beer than you ever imagined: It is the most complex, subtle, and remarkable beverage humans have ever created. Its story deserves to be told with love and passion. Charles W. Bamforth brings all that, plus a lifetime of brewing knowledge and wisdom. Read his book, and you'll agree with Benjamin Franklin's apocryphal quote: Beer truly is proof that God loves us.
From Bangkok's Singha to the Sierra Nevadas
How institutional investing, indexing, and efficient markets theory promote herding
Secrets of foam, color, clarity, and freshness
From the bottle inward: the makings of a great brew
Discovering the "Slow Beer" movement
Traditional brewers, true beer culture, and real heritage
God in a glass: the spiritual dimensions of beer
Experiencing the magnificence of transformation and deliverance
Biography
Charles W. Bamforth has been in the brewing industry for 32 years, including 13 years in research, 11 in academia, and 8 with the famed brewing company Bass. After an international search, he was selected as UC Davis' first Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences. Throughout his diverse career, he has embraced every dimension of beer, from raw materials and processing, through quality, to beer's impact on the body. This makes him unique among "beer people" worldwide. He has published many research papers in the peer-reviewed domain, but also those targeted at the layperson, seeking to engage awareness and debate about beer as a product and as part of social fabric. This is his ninth book on beer (one of his earlier ones is in its third edition), and he is generally considered to be one of the world's leading writers and speakers on beer, from an authoritative, but also humorous and engaging, perspective. In recent years his major research thrust has been on the wholesomeness and public perception of beer.
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