From Publishers Weekly
Beer may have gone a bit upscale in recent years, what with all those microbrews and Belgian ales, but Swierczynski (The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion) is more interested in the history of Pabst Blue Ribbon and the trivia of hangovers, not to mention the physics of a flying bottle cap, the world's weirdest beer flavors (he's found banana and white chocolate mousse, among others) and beer label art. He divides this visually captivating compendium into a six-pack of chapters, covering history, geography, crafts, the sciences, the arts and even connoisseurship as they relate to readers' favorite hop-flavored brew. The "Bonus Can" chapter appears to include stuff that wouldn't fit anywhere else (e.g., Web sites and drinking songs). Swierczynski has amassed quite a collection of images: vintage Milwaukee's Best cans, jars of pickled eggs, Heineken mugs, drinking funnels and even beer can votive holders are all on display, and the random sidebars and diagrams will help hold readers' attention. Despite all this, the book is largely a jumble of only loosely related facts and lists, and virtually no subject gets more than a paragraph of text. It's too disorganized to serve as a reference book, and too choppy to be read all the way through, yet too attractive and entertaining to put down for long.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Book Description
If you're looking for another stodgy, holier-than-thou "connoisseur's" book, you've come to the wrong place. The Big Book o' Beer celebrates the wide world of beer in all its shameless glory -- from the highbrow to the Lowenbrau, from trendy Belgian microbrews to the famous "old man bars" of Las Vegas. It's packed with amazing photographs and fascinating beer-related information about history, geography, science, arts, crafts, and more. Want to tour the ten biggest breweries on the planet? Interested in making dazzling arts and crafts from old beer cans? Need a recipe for beer-flavored ice cream? Want to know the science behind beer bellies, beer goggles, and beer foam? The Big Book o' Beer has it all-plus drinking games, drinking songs, vintage cans, classic advertisements, an "atlas of beer," and too many other features to list here. It's an inspiring tribute that every cervezaphile (a.k.a. beer lover) will cherish!


About the Author
Duane Swierczynski is the author of The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion. His writing has also appeared in Details and Men’s Health. He lives in Philadelphia.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

If you're looking for another stodgy, holier-than-thou "connoisseur's" book, you've come to the wrong place. The Big Book o' Beer celebrates the wide world of beer in all its shameless glory — from the highbrow to the Lowenbrau, from trendy Belgian microbrews to the famous "old man bars" of Las Vegas. It's packed with amazing photographs and fascinating beer-related information about history, geography, science, arts, crafts, and more. Want to tour the ten biggest breweries on the planet? Interested in making dazzling arts and crafts from old beer cans? Need a recipe for beer-flavored ice cream? Want to know the science behind beer bellies, beer goggles, and beer foam? The Big Book o' Beer has it all-plus drinking games, drinking songs, vintage cans, classic advertisements, an "atlas of beer," and too many other features to list here. It's an inspiring tribute that every cervezaphile (a.k.a. beer lover) will cherish!

Author Biography: Duane Swierczynski is the author of The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion. His writing has also appeared in Details and Men's Health. He lives in Philadelphia.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly