Money Well Spent

Admittedly, I'm not one to back way from the gratuitous self promotion of my own projects (HEY! don't forget about the Albany Ale Project, albanyaleproject.com, and the upcoming book on said topic!), but today, I thought I'd share the spotlight with three of my beer writing compatriots. Two pretty fantastic books have hit the market and I thought I'd give you the low-down on them.

First up—for all the home brewing history nerds out there…

Although Ron the-one-man-beery-encyclopedia Pattinson, has written a number of books—Mild!, Bitter! , War!, Scotland!, and of course his Amsterdam Pub Guide (which has a phenomenally well designed cover, I might add.) His latest release is a bit different. In The Homebrewer's Guide to Vintage Beer, Ron has compiled a how-to for recreating historic beers from the beginning of the 19th to mid-20th century. From Brown Ale to Burton, Stout to Stock ales, this volume digs into the history of each of these well-known brews and then gives you all the grists, hopping info and techniques for making them in the comfort of your own home—time machine unnecessary.

The Homebrewer's Guide to Vintage Beer is available at Amazon and Ron's blog Shut Up About Barclay Perkins, for a mere $22.49.

And now for something completely different...

The Unbearable Nonsense of Craft Beer—A Rant in Nine Acts dropped (as they say in the music biz), just this morning. Written by the international dynamic-duo of Alan McLeod and Max Bahnson, The Unbearable Nonsense of Craft Beer is a witty and sometimes acerbic look at the state of the craft-beer world today. Set in, well… anywhere they choose—from Alan's backyard shed to 19th century England. All I'll say is that the space-time continuum is a bit bendy in this rant. Alan and Max dissect everything wrong and right with craft beer—slicing through the bullshit, but also extolling the virtues—of an industry that can sometimes stray from the course. This one is perfect for those who haven't drank the Kool-Aid—or better yet, for those who have.

The Unbearable Nonsense of Craft Beer is available for $3.99 as a Kindle purchase on Amazon. Also check-out the book, and the fellas on Facebook, as well.

Now then, where's my ten percent?