John Holl presents an excellent and informative look at modern craft beer and the current state of breweries. I found this book thoroughly enjoyable. Holl provides less learned drinkers with information on the brewing processes and terms to actually discuss beer. It doesn't hurt that he regularly includes shout-outs to some of my favorites, especially Schell's, Oskar Blues, and Boulevard. As an added bonus, Holl keeps the editorializing about macrobreweries to a minimum by only occasionally disparaging Michelob and Budweiser. The book carries on overall message to drink what you like, but to know what you're drinking.

Worldwide, beer is the second most popular beverage (after coffee). No wonder everyone wants to Drink Beer, Think Beer.

With only four basic ingredients—water, malt, hops and yeast—it is staggering how many beer varieties are available now. With breweries popping up everywhere and even inexpensive home brewery kits available online, beer is definitely experiencing a renaissance from its former bowling league ambience.

Beginning with a brief history of beer, the book quickly segues into the eccentric world of craft beers. Beers are made with some very unusual add-on ingredients. Some of the weirdest that are mentioned are beef hearts, stones, money and moon dust though the author admits that some are just publicity stunts or solely for collectors—not drinkers.

This is a absorbing study of a favorite subject of many. Whether you like beer to drink, collect or are just following the trends, Drink Beer, Think Beer is a good choice to make you more knowledgeable about beer. 3 stars for me but if you love craft beer, this could easily be a 5 star read for you.

Thanks to Perseus Books and NetGalley for an advance copy.

#DrinkBeer,ThinkBeer #NetGalley

An educational and creative anthology about the history of the beer and the impact on the society. A good idea for beer lovers or brewers.

I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was educational, entertaining and highly readable. Engrossing, in fact. I read this book first as a beer enthusiast and second as someone who dreams of brewing their own beer one day. I learned why most commercial beer tastes like every other beer, and why some beer has a bitter finish. Which for me was fascinating.

I am so glad I was given this book to review!

I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone with more than a passing interest in beer. This book will be worth every cent you pay for it.

This wasn't a bad read. I thought it was a bit too in depth for my liking but that also speaks to the level of knowledge and expert-ness of the author. This came across more educational to me than a relaxing book about beer.

As Senior Editor of Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine, former editor of All About Beer Magazine, author of a beer cookbook and co-host of a beer podcast, John Holl has spent a lot of time drinking, discussing, writing and thinking about beer. His latest effort, Drink Beer, Think Beer: Getting to the Bottom of Every Pint is an extended homage to modern brewing and its independent producers.

While it’s clear Hull is a lover of beer, he does not come off as a beer snob. The book makes it clear that craft beer can and should be enjoyed by everyone. “It’s easy to get caught up in the fever of chasing a new, rare, or local beer without stopping to reconsider and appreciate the classics,” writes Hull. “This is time spent worrying about what a beer should be or could be rather than what it is, and when that happens we lose sight of what got us excited about beer in the first place. Each new trip to the bar, each new beer opened, is a chance to break that cycle and to focus on the moment at hand.”

With the explosion of the craft beer scene there are now more breweries in the United States than at any time since prohibition, and while not a guide to the many styles of beer available, Drink Beer, Think Beer (Digital gallery, Perseus Books) offers ample advice on tasting and judging beer. With the knowledge shared in the book drinkers will be better equipped to determine beer quality and make choices that match their own drinking preferences.

While Drink Beer, Think Beer covers the state of the beer industry, its economics and the threat to independent brewers posed by giants such as AB InBev, the book never gets bogged down. Hull’s writing pedigree includes stints and the New York Times, Newark Star-Ledger and the Indianapolis Star and his journalism skills shows in this most approachable of beer books.

GREAT GUIDE TO ALL THINGS HOPS

My paternal great-grandmother came to America from County Cork to escape the potato famine. She lived into her '90s with my Dad's family and would often send him out for a bucket of beer. Each time she’d reward him with sips, and inscrutably declare, "Ah, Charles, you're a bully boy with a glass eye!" So when I discovered DRINK BEER, THINK BEER, I knew I HAD to do a review because, sure and begorrah, it’s in the blood.

And I love this book! It covers everything you could possibly want to know about the subject in spirited format and narrative. Plus author John Holl, an award-winning journalist and beer expert, is the kind of guy you’d want to share a brewski with. Thoughtful, witty and full of hops wisdom, he’s created a sublime guide for understanding and savoring beer.

You learn that the U.S. has more breweries than at any time since prohibition, and that beer culture is thriving and evolving globally.
Holl also draws upon history, economics, and interviews with industry insiders to flesh out this foam-rich compendium on the world’s most hops-ening drink. 5/5b

Pub Date 04 Sep 2018

Thanks to Perseus Books, Basic Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#DrinkBeer,ThinkBeer #NetGalley

I received an early copy of Drink Beer, Think Beer from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

John Holl's newest book Drink Beer, Think Beer is a comprehensive guide to all things beer. He covers everything from variations of hop styles to the types of glasses to use for each beer to the ever growing fight between "craft" and independent vs behemoth conglomerates. Holl has worked in the beer industry as a writer for many years and knows an insane amount about the popular beverage and has tasted about every variation you can think of and he shares that insight with his readers in a straightforward and informative mannor.

I am a newer fan of craft beer and have discovered there is so much more to beer then a basic boring generic lager so I was excited to dive into this book for education purposes. It did not disappoint, I learned a lot from Holl's book and now am more confident in trying new or unusual beers. Like me he leans toward independent and local breweries but still shows respect for those who love beer but produce it in mass quantities. I would recommend this book for those new to the beer Renaissance and looking for detailed information. So, grab a pint, grab this book and enjoy.

Very interesting and informative look at beer; past, present and future. I'm no expert, but I definitely enjoy a cold brew on a hot, summer day.

An entertaining and thoughtful look at beer today.

If you're anywhere on the spectrum between the person who only ever drinks Bud Light at one end and the former home-brewer turned craft brewery owner at the end, you'll learn something from this enjoyable look at the world of beer today.

Holl comes off as a friendly, knowledgeable beer lover, rather than a condescending hipster or old stick in the mud. There's some history of beer, some background on the US beer industry and, more recently, the growth in craft brewing, and chapters on what might be called the beer life: drinking beer in bars, drinking beer at home, how to drink beer (draft? cans? bottles? specific types of glasses?), what the big breweries get right, what the small breweries get wrong, and more. He's opinionated but neither hectors nor lectures. His style is conversational and easy-reading but thoughtful.

I'm the kind of guy who, when he gets into something, likes to read about it. I've read several books on beer in the last couple of years, from a couple of histories of beer to one woman's tale of becoming a cicerone. There's a little overlap here and there, but not so much that this feels in any way redundant. If I ran a pub or a small brewery with a bar area, I'd have a copy or two of this for customers to read a little of while they're enjoying a pint. If you're interested enough in the subject of beer that you stopped to look at this review, you're the target for the book. Its focus is American, but its appeal should be broader than just one country. Give it a try.