Article by: Eric Blumenfeld,
Beerspoke Tours CEO
Taking a slight departure from the travel, there are a great many beer geeks among us who know a lot about our shared malt/hops/water/yeast-based passion, but who yearn to consistently educate themselves in the art of beer. And, if that's the case, there is no single better educational companion than "The Oxford Companion To Beer", edited by the eminent Garrett Oliver (of Brooklyn Brewery fame). If it's beer-related, and you're looking for it, it's almost certainly in this comprehensive tome. But, you know, just in case, check us out first.
Written encyclopedically, in alphabetical order, you can find everything from information on beer styles, to different steps in the brewing process, to hop varieties, to well- and little-known facts on the history of beer. With loads of accompanying images, each entry is written not simply to present the facts, but with the reader firmly in mind, sprinkled with the colorful language of gifted storytellers to hold our attention and make us want to continue our journey into discovery.
While "The Oxford Companion To Beer" is incredibly informative and enjoyable reading and will make you way smarter in the world of beer (and we fully recommend you buy the book for these reasons), we'd also like to respectfully submit two more motivations:
One: It's large and beautiful, especially with the sleeve. THE perfect coffee table book to use as a decorative display piece. Your living room will thank you.
Two: It's guaranteed, regardless of how much you've read, to make you look like a fellow or a lady who really knows your beer to anyone visiting your home. That's right, we're saying you can totally use it to impress your friends. Listen, are there more important things than your vanity? Absolutely! Does that mean you should push aside your vanity out of some misguided desire to be a perfect little person? Hell no!