Joe Sixpack's Philly Beer Guide

Joe Sixpack (a.k.a. Don Russell) pretty much embodies beer drinking in Philly. He is the man behind Philly Beer Week, he has a weekly column in the local paper, conducts local beer tastings, keeps a blog and on top of that he also writes for several national beer-related magazines. Joe knows beer and Joe knows Philly, afterall he's been drinking beer in the city for over 30 years.

I picked up this book while visiting family down in the Philly suburbs. That is where I called home for the first half of my childhood and most of my Dad's family (and my Dad) are all still in the area. I guess I am the wanderer. Anyways, I digress.

This is a great book for anyone who loves beer and not just those in close proximity to the "Best Beer Drinking City in America" (this should be required reading for all of them!). You can learn a hell of a lot from this book and not just where to get a good beer in the city.

For instance, Don has included the following for your entertainment:

* Information about local breweries

* Places to play pool

* A Philly beer history timeline

* The (insanely strange) rules to getting beer to go in Pennsylvania

* Favorite beers of local bartenders, bar owners etc...( I love that!)

* Bill Conlin's (longtime Philly sportswriter) Top 6 Barroom Brawls

* "The Drinker's Dictionary"

* A section on the science behind hangovers!

and many, many more interesting and many times funny sections!

This book reads as part guidebook, part history book, part beer glossary and part how-to. Put them all together and you have a book you could read cover to cover, totally enjoy and never make it to Philly (although you'll definitely want to make a trip after you check this book out)!

Check out my Q & A with Don Russell HERE!

Check out Joe Sixpack's BLOG and SITE

You can get a copy of this book at:

Joe Sixpack

BeerBooks

BEER BOOK FACTS

Title: Joe Sixpack's Philly Beer Guide

Authors: Don Russell (a.k.a. Joe Sixpack)

Publisher: Camino Books, 2008

More: 223 pages that encompass everything and anything you need to know about beer in Philly and the surrounding suburbs.

Fermenting Revolution

Fermenting Revolution author Christopher O'Brien's mantra is "Drink Beer, Save the World." You see, Chris is a "beer activist", in fact his blog is entitled none other than The Beer Activist.

This book will appeal to both beer drinkers and progressive types alike. It covers the beginnings of beer as a female dominated activity that was done in the home (and still is in some countries) all the way through to the modern era.

The main theme in Chris's book is that good beer brings lots of great things together. Beer is something to be enjoyed with conversation, a chance to slow down and catch up with the people around you both in your family and your neighborhood.

One thing that really hit me while reading this book is how sustainability and beer seem to go hand in hand. Microbreweries are becoming increasingly larger players in the drive for better energy usage. Such breweries as New Belgium and Brooklyn are getting their power from wind and others are going solar. Chris does a great job covering why it is that breweries and smart energy seem to be getting better and better acquainted these days. Its not just the small players either. The big boys (AB, Molson/Coors and Miller) all do their share of recycling, reducing and reusing. Its quite commendable and fascinating. They may not be able to brew a beer that appeals to beer snobs but they do a good job with contributing to saving the earth.

Along with doing a lot for the green movement, brewpubs and breweries are bringing communities closer as well. I really enjoyed how Chris explained just how this is being done and how it can make a big difference.

Behind the history and the hopes for the future of both beer and mankind are Chris's ways that, as a beer drinker, you can make a difference. Some examples he uses are:

*Buy local beer! (it doesn't need to be shipped and you are supporting your community)

*Fill a growler! (its a cheap way to transport beer and its nice and fresh!)

*Recycle your empties! (if you aren't doing this you shouldn't be drinking beer)

This is a book that really brings some things to light that most beer drinkers aren't spending too much time thinking about. It was a great look at how beer has been a big part of society for a long time and the function it has played throughout time. If you read this book you will learn something and you will discover at least one way you can do more by drinking beer.

When Chris isn't writing his beer blog and being a beer activist he is also the part owner of Seven Bridges which is a store that sells organic home brewing and coffee roasting supplies.

You can get a copy of this book at:

Amazon

BeerBooks

New Society Publishers

BEER BOOK FACTS

Title: Fermenting Revolution: How to Drink Beer and Save the World

Author: Christopher Mark O'Brien

Publisher: New Society Publishers, 2006

More: 288 pages how beer breeds change and how you can make a difference!

Beer School

Ever wonder what goes into the inner workings of a brewery? Well, there is a lot of planning and financial organizing going on that doesn't involve any malt or hops...not to mention the successes and failures that starting your own business can bring. These things can't be seen on the label of a bottle.

Steve Hindy and Tom Potter are the two founders of the Brookyln Brewery. Their story is not a conventional one and I'd be amazed if any other brewery in the US was so meticulously planned. Beer School is their book about their beginnings and how they turned an idea into a multi-million dollar brewery that produces some outstanding beers.

Beer School tells you more than you'll ever need to know when it comes to developing a business. If you like beer, you'll enjoy this book because the business they develop is beer. If you like business, finance and success stories, this is a great book for you too. Steve and Tom give you the no frills background behind everything from picking the location, name and marketing identity of the Brooklyn Brewery to the day to day workings of a brewery and its employees. 

This was a book that really impressed me. Tom and Steve have different backgrounds, different strengths and different personalities and Beer School is a nice mix of each of their thoughts and perspectives on their mutual business. 

This is not a book about beer so much as it is a book about a business and how it grew from an idea to a career to a legacy. Its not a story mimicked by other breweries and its as unique as the beers Brooklyn brews. It will make you think next time you open a bottle of beer thats for sure.  A whole hell of a lot goes into getting a brewery up and running and keeping it successful!

You can get a copy of this book at:

Amazon

BeerBooks

BEER BOOK FACTS

Title: Beer School

Authors: Steve Hindy and Steve Potter

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons, 2005

More: 304 pages of brewery and brewing business fascination

Three Sheets to the Wind

I was travelling recently and as anyone whose taken a long trip knows, its best to bring a good book (or two) along to keep yourself occupied.

After finishing Pete Brown's first book, Man Walks into a Pub, I was pretty excited to start on this one. For his second book, Pete takes on a challenge that many will be jealous of at first but in awe of after realizing what he went through.

Three Sheets to the Wind: One Man's Quest for the Meaning of Beer is a travelogue, a history book, a journey of discovery and a case study of both how different cultures enjoy beer and how the traditional pub culture in England is slowly disappearing.

Pete's familiar personal style of writing is immediately present in his second book. Its reassuring to know that his style, wit and personality is a big part of this book as well, since it really makes for an entertaining read. If you enjoyed his first book, this one will not disappoint.

Three Sheets to the Wind came about after a seemingly innocent business trip to Prague. Upon realizing that beer means something very different to different people, Pete starts a journey that will see him ordering beers in over 300 bars. He travels from his native England to Belgium, Sydney, Tokyo, Milwaukee and many places in between. Along the way he shares beer history, culture and style as well as some hilarious stories of the people he meets on his quest.

If you've ever wondered about the history of beer drinking in Australia, the Carlsberg Brewery background or just how many beers are drank at Oktoberfest, than this is a great book to check out. I found it a great accompaniment to my recent travels through Spain and Scandinavia as Pete covers both places pretty much spot on. I really don't think there is a better combination than a book about beer, history and travel that is written with passion and humor.

I loved Pete's candidness when it comes to traveling, drinking and eating almost nonstop. It makes me think of Supersize Me and definitely hits home when I think of previous travels in Belgium and Ireland, when I too felt that all I was living off of was beer and different types of sausage.

Pete's heartfelt final stop on his quest is his hometown of Barnsley in the north of England. Here Pete sums up his journey and all he's learned along the way. Its a great final chapter after lots of travel. This another great book thats once again easy to read and easy to digest (like a good beer). Apparently Pete is working a third book and I'll certainly be getting a copy as soon as it comes out.

Thanks Pete, for doing what many of us wish we could do and letting us know know how it went! We all owe you a bit of our livers.

You can get a copy of this book at:

Amazon

BEER BOOK FACTS

Title: Three Sheets to the Wind: One Man's Quest for the Meaning of Beer

Author: Pete Brown

Publisher: Pan Macmillan, 2006

More: 460 pages of beer history, travel and humor

Other books by Pete Brown:

Man Walks into a Pub: A Sociable History of Beer

Man Walks into a Pub: A Sociable History of Beer

Pete Brown is hysterical. I'll leave it at that. You can pick up this book, read it and draw your own conclusions. 

Pete wrote a book that many of us have been ready to read for quite some time. Man Walks into a Pub is a witty, sarcastic and well researched look at the history of beer, beer drinking and everything that corresponds to those two things. From the often told history of beers oldest roots all the way to the state of beer drinking in British pubs today, this book is filled with interesting facts and lots of personality.

Pete's English, so this book is mainly about the history of British beer and pubs. Personally, I loved that since it was a perspective that was rather new to me. Pete tells the story of where beer drinking has come from in England (and the world) and where it is going.  If you aren't overly familiar with the history (and often psychology) about beer and pub culture in the UK, than this book will be quite informative (and quite amusing). 

I feel that Pete really put himself into this book. Its not a boring history of all that is beer, but a rather personal and definitely funny look at what beer is and why we drink it. On many pages you'll find Pete's personal take on things as a foot note at the bottom. Often times I found myself laughing out loud. Like I said, Pete Brown is hysterical.

Aside from being humored, I learned a lot of things I didn't know from Man Walks into a Pub. Its simply a great book book about beer. Its easy to read and easily digested (like a good beer). If you want to have a good read about something you love, pick this up along with a nice six-pack.

Brown, who lives in London, has been around the beer industry for quite some time. He was a former adman for some premier beer accounts in the city and now, aside from writing about beer, he runs his own marketing consultancy firm called Storm Lantern that focuses on beer and those other drinks that have alcohol in them. 

You can get a copy of this book at:

Amazon

BeerBooks

BEER BOOK FACTS

Title: Man Walks into a Pub: A Sociable History of Beer

Author: Pete Brown

Publisher: Pan Macmillan, 2003

More: 389 pages of beer history and hilarity

Other books by Pete Brown:

Three Sheets to the Wind: One Man's Quest for the Meaning of Beer

Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer

I picked up a copy of Ambitious Brew when I was at an airport Borders. It was a great find at a time when I was going to have to resort to killing time playing solitaire on my iPod. Who says good things don't happen at airports! 

Maureen Ogle is not your typical beer writer. In fact, she isn't a beer writer at all...unless you count this book. This is her first book that has anything to do with the topic. She's written two other books, one about the history of Key West and another called All the Modern Conveniences (a book about American household plumbing in the latter half of the 19th century). But maybe thats what makes this book great. Its written by someone with a non-subjective point of view when telling the story of how American beer came to be. Maureen writes with the keen eye of a historian, which she is, and really gives the reader a great look at the role beer has played in the lives of Americans and a fascinating look at the major players in the American beer industry and how they came to be.

Ambitious Brew's story picks up where the very early history of beer in America leaves off. Thus, the book is more the contemporary story of American beer in the last 150 years or so and not the entire history. It provides an in depth look at the Best, Anheuser, Busch, Schlitz, Pabst,  Miller, and Coors family histories and the battles they all fought to try and establish the largest market shares in America. You may not be a big fan of their beers now, but not long ago that was all you had and the history of how the big brewers got so big is a fascinating one.

Ogle works her way through the rather complicated history of the well known American brewing giants to the more modern history of the microbrew revolution. She provides a great look at how the craft beer industry has become what it is today and includes a lot of great insight from the big names on what it was like when that part of the industry started to take off. She also manages to tie the modern state of beer in America in with the overall history of beer in the US in a way that paints a nice "big picture". Its not one of us vs them (big brewers vs small brewers) but one of beer and how everyone from the biggest macro-brewery to the smallest microbrewery has played a role in its history in America.

This is a great overview of how American beer and the American brewing industry has became what it is today. 

To read my Q & A with author Maureen Ogle go HERE!

Did you know?

You can get a copy of this book at:

Amazon

BeerBooks

BEER BOOK FACTS

Title: Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer

Author: Maureen Ogle

Publisher: Harcourt Books, 2006

More: 422 pages covering 150 years of American beer history!

The Good Beer Guide to New England

On the left is the bible for good beer drinking in New England. If you don't own it, I suggest you get it now! Andy Crouch, an excellent beer writer for different publications, does a remarkable job with this guide to breweries, brew pubs and beer barsthroughout New England. Its nicely divided up into sections on each New England state and very easy to use as a directory or just to read for the wealth of information it provides.

One thing that really makes this book great is that Andy personally visits all the places in the book (Slopes up in Presque Isle is one he didn't get to, but I forgive you Andy...thats a long way to drive for a minimal beer selection) and writes up very informative reviews for each.

I love how Andy also inserts sections between reviews about things like the brewing process, enjoying beer, understanding beer styles and even a list of "11 great New England beer bars" (yes, our very own Great Lost Bear is on the list)! It adds a really nice touch to an already fantastic book. He also gives a short history lesson about beer and brewing preceding the section on each state. There is even a glossary of beer terms in the back of the book!

I've been toting this book around with me for while now and highlighting the places I've been to. Its such a great accompaniment when visiting a brewery or brewpub. You get the stats and the history of each places as well as a great overall review of the beer quality. Andy even throws in a section in each review about his favorite beer from the place he is reviewing.

With 50 pages dedicated to Maine you can't go wrong!!!

To read my Q & A with Andy Crouch go HERE!

The Good Beer Guide to New England is available online at:

University Press New England

BeerBooks

For more information about Andy Crouch's book go HERE!

BEER BOOK FACTS

Title: The Good Beer Guide to New England

Author: Andy Crouch

Publisher: University Press of New England, 2006

More: 276 pages of New England beer perfection