Book Review – Let me tell you about beer

Let Me Tell You About Beer By Melissa Cole
Pavilion, £14.99
ISBN 978-1-86205-914-6

Beer writer Melissa Cole makes a point of chastising brewers and pub operators who use the terms "malty" and "hoppy" to describe beer. Beer deserves, as she points out, a little bit more reverence than that. It certainly has begun to receive it as the growing ranks of the beerati get more vocal.

The number of weighty, hardback books about beer is increasing rapidly, as more and more people wake up to the delights of cask ale and craft beers. But delve a little deeper and it is a world that can seem somewhat bewildering and slightly geeky in some quarters, even to those that have some familiarity with the subject.

Take the release earlier this year of The Oxford Companion to Beer, edited by Garrett Oliver, for example - an extremely authoritative tome, but hardly a light read. Those wishing for a lighter, more accessible approach would do well to try Melissa Cole's Let Me Tell You About Beer.

The book is pitched at beginners, which explains the friendly tone and bright illustrations. But it is a very useful reference even for the more hardened beer drinker, with a crash course in the basics of brewing, storing and serving, and glassware.

There is also a very useful illustrated tutorial on how to taste beer like a pro, and an extensive chart on matching beer styles with food - potentially very useful for any operator wishing to branch out and offer more choices than just wine to accompany a menu.

Cole then dives headlong into beer styles, with an explanation of the principles behind each one, and some recommendations on what to try. Almost every conceivable style is covered, from wheat beer to milds, porters and stouts. The author's enthusiasm for the subject shines through on every page, making it a thoroughly interesting read, deserving a place on any beer enthusiast's bookshelf.

If you like this, you'll love these:
The Oxford Companion to Beer Garrett Oliver and Tom Colicchio
â- Man Walks Into A Pub: A Sociable History of Beer Peter Brown
â- CAMRA's Book of Beer Knowledge: Essential Wisdom for the Discerning Drinker Jeff Evans