The Beer Enthusiast's Guide: Tasting & Judging Brews from Around the World [Paperback]

Gregg Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1994

A handbook that no true beer lover will want to be without. This comprehensive guide explains step-by-step how to host an authentic beer tasting, including how to pour a beer, what shape glasses to use, the proper temperature for various styles, and criteria for judging including look, smell, feel, and taste. Illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The recent surge of interest in specialty beers and beer-making has brewed a potful of new books on the subject. Smith is one of a handful of new-brew experts making a name for themselves by writing for the regional brewing newspapers, such as Ale Street News , Barleycorn and New Brewer. His guide is a good introduction for anyone who wants to taste new beers and learn some standards by which to judge them. There are none of the homebrewers' recipes that many brewing books have, but the book overflows with information about the brewing process, how to classify unknown beers and how to become certified as a judge for tastings. Clear and useful charts appraise the color, taste and body of beers; two appendices list U.S. brewpubs and microbreweries, and homebrewing supply stores. Unfortunately, the organization of the text makes some of this information hard to find. For instance, Chapter 6, "Preparing for the BJCP Exam," doesn't explain what the Beer Judge Certification Program (of the American Homebrewers Association and Home Wine and Beer Trade Association) is until 12 pages into the chapter. One often has the feeling of having missed the meat of a section, only to find the missing information in another chapter. The best advice is: keep reading, the information is there.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Even if you've already blown your beverage-book allowance on one of Michael Jackson's lavish beer tomes (his Beer Companion's the latest ), scrape up the kale to add this exemplary little tract to the potables shelf. Smith's aim is to make us discriminating beer bibbers--indeed, to enable us to pass the Beer Judge Certification Program exam (which was started by hobbyists to help raise standards of quality for home brewing). Accordingly, the last chapter is "Preparing for the BJCP Exam," but before it Smith succinctly yet in plenty enough detail describes beer history, the brewing process, beer styles, beer characteristics, and the natural ingredients of brewing. So this a superb short course in beerology (so to speak), one given permanent reference value by a surprisingly thorough index, a glossary, references, and appendixes including state-by-state listings of home brew supply shops and brew pubs and microbreweries. Ray Olson

Product Details

• Paperback: 143 pages
• Publisher: Storey Books; First Printing edition (March 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882668382
• ISBN-13: 978-0882668383
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #976,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book will take you from beer neophyte to conoiseur., August 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Beer Enthusiast's Guide: Tasting & Judging Brews from Around the World (Paperback)

This is the first book from one of the most knowledgable and prolific beer writers. The book is a guide to understanding the styles of beers in a straight forward approach and teaches you how to educate your palate to be able to disearn a well made beer. In these days of the proliferation of brewpubs and 'craft brews', one needs a basis for choosing one brew over another to spend one's money on. This small, but packed reference will guide you through the pitfalls of expensive beers. If you wish to become a certified beer judge this is THE text to study from. Over look the obvious typos and other small mistakes and you will find a fine source for beer facts and evaluation techniques. A must for the serious beer weenie!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn BEER JUDGING too!, November 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Beer Enthusiast's Guide: Tasting & Judging Brews from Around the World (Paperback)

What this great little book for beer lovers, in addition to the usual short description of beer history and a good section on all the different types of brews, is an entire chapter on BEER JUDGING and the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program)!