Secret Life of Beer: Legends, Lore & Little-Known Facts [Paperback]

Alan D. Eames (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 1995

A fascinating and eclectic compendium -- from beer's preeminent historian!

Did you know that...
The Mayflower abandoned its search for further destinations and landed in Plymouth because they had run out of beer?
Women in ancient Sumeria dominated the art of brewing and tavern keeping, operating under the protection of Siduri, goddess of the brewery?
Twenty people literally "drowned in beer" in 1814 when a vat in a London brewery exploded, creating a tidal wave of beer?
Alewives in Colonial America brewed a special high-test "groaning ale" for a mother-to-be to swig while she was in labor?

Beer has inspired, influenced, and excited human beings for thousands of years. Alan Eames has traveled the world uncovering the Secret Life Of Beer -- the untold stories, lore, and references to beer in poetry, song, literature, and human history.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

A fascinating and eclectic compendium -- from beer's preeminent historian!

Did you know that...
* The Mayflower abandoned its search for further destinations and landed in Plymouth because they had run out of beer?
* Women in ancient Sumeria dominated the art of brewing and tavern keeping, operating under the protection of Siduri, goddess of the brewery?
* Twenty people literally "drowned in beer" in 1814 when a vat in a London brewery exploded, creating a tidal wave of beer? * Alewives in Colonial America brewed a special high-test "groaning ale" for a mother-to-be to swig while she was in labor?

Beer has inspired, influenced, and excited human beings for thousands of years! Alan Eames has traveled the world uncovering the Secret Life Of Beer -- the untold stories, lore, and references to beer in poetry, song, literature, and human history.

About the Author

Alan D. Eames is a cultural anthropologist, magazine writer, and author of A Beer Drinker’s Companion. He is a founding director of the American Museum of Brewing History & Fine Arts in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. He lives in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (January 10, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882668072
• ISBN-13: 978-0882668079
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,979,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money, May 21, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Secret Life of Beer: Legends, Lore & Little-Known Facts (Paperback)

This is the most poorly written book I've ever read. It consists of a rambling, incohesive assortment of beer trivia and anecdotes that any beer geek already knows, random literary quotes containing the word "beer" or "ale" (example: "And when I think upon a pot of beer."- Lord Byron), and some eyewitness-type accounts of prehistoric brewing events. Furthermore, Mr. Eames devotes as much or more content to prohibitionist propoganda and factoids than to pro-beer trivia!
I think Mr. Eames and his editor were intoxicated. What a disappointment.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Beer Trivia Book, January 18, 2000

By 

Lee C. Carpenter (Landisville, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secret Life of Beer: Legends, Lore & Little-Known Facts (Paperback)

I still reference this book monthly as I search for little-known facts about beer and brewing history for our homebrew club newsletter. It was an entertaining read and deserves a spot on any true beer drinkers shelf.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth your money, November 12, 2004

By 

Potboy (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secret Life of Beer: Legends, Lore & Little-Known Facts (Paperback)

Frequently demonstrably wrong, and regularly claims "facts" that do not seem to occur in any other source, casting serious doubt upon their authenticity. Anyone repeating anything from this book runs a severe risk of perpetuating inaccuracies. For example, the claim in the blurb that "Twenty people literally "drowned in beer" in 1814 when a vat in a London brewery exploded" is simply not true - only eight people died, all when buildings collapsed, and the vat never "exploded", one of the hoops broke and it collapsed.