Here are some of the books and documentaries that inspired me most. I warmly recommend these readings. They are all about anecdotes, facts and stories. It makes any discussion about beer so much more fun.
Books
Tasting Beer (Randy Mosher)
A very nice 360 approach to beer culture. The 2nd edition is even better. I have offered more than 1000 of them to my “students”. Beautiful infographics and illustrations.
The Brewmaster Table (Garret Oliver)
When I bought this book I really thought it would be about Beer & Food pairing. It ended up being an incredible source of stories worth telling. There’s no recipe inside as far as I remember, sometime lengthy description of pairing experiences but for me it was first and foremost an eye opener to the history of classic styles.
Ancient Brews (Calagione and McGovern)
I have never been very much into “history” at school. Except epic Greek gods stories and adventurous Egyptian mysteries, most of the rest was boring … as a teenager. I rediscovered history though beer. suddenly everything made sense. I wish I could be back on the benches. This book is perfect. It tells the story behind some extreme beers brewed by Dogfish Head in tandem with biomolecular archeologist (pardon the understatement) Patrick Mc Govern. Beer meets Archeology. A fantastic way to rediscover civilizations.
The drunken botanist (Amy Stewart)
I bought this one in NOLA. I was there for the infamous annual Tales of the Cocktails, discovring the craft of mixology and bartendering, the 8am bloody mary experience and the lectures of Dale Degroof and other incredible people from the spiritied world. This book talks about herbs, spices, flowers, grains… Their origin, their use in traditional beverages,… true source of stories and inspiration.
Mastering Homebrew (Randy Mosher)
Here is another from Randy (and there are actually many more). Most people start small before moving to larger brewing equipment. For me it was the other way round, starting with 250hl kettles. Moving to 5gal system is not a copy paste and as much as I know brewing, I found lots of very useful small scale advices in this book. Also it has tons of info for more out of the box ingredients.
Why does asparagus make your wee smell ? (Andy Brunning)
Nice and simple. Plenty of thoughtful questions you must have asked yourself one day if you have a bit of scientific curiosity. The book is filled with “really? I didn’t know that!”. Entry level but sometime I don’t need more than 2 pages to fall asleep.
Man walks into a pub (Pete Brown)
The subtitle says it all… “A Sociable History of Beer”. Stories after stories. You need to read this one with a Pale Ale or a Porter.
Against all hops (Butch Heilshorn)
Of course there are recipes, warnings and advice in this book but there are here again so many stories. Botanic beers is a getaway to natural ingredients and remedies. From the times before hops to modern foraging. If you want to know the connection between witches and brewsters… dig in that book.
The Thinking Drinker's Guide to Alcohol (McFarland and Sandham)
A great way to learn fast about Beer, Wine, Cider and the key spirit. to know. Some timelines, “Amusing anecdotes and opinions”, stories, facts and details about what makes each of them unique.
Must have.
A Brief History of Lager
There’s been a fair amount of books about Lager in the last few years. “Modern Lager” which is more technical, “The Naked Beer” (the book about Pilsner) and this one: A Brief History of Lager. Mark Dredge is a storyteller and this book will take you on a proper road trip. You’ll finish your reading with a refreshing new set of anecdote and short stories you will want to share!
Documentaries
Here are a few documentaries showing extreme dedication and passion across beverage categories. Huge inspiration and respect. I wish I’d have many lives to do it again!
Somm
Note that if you want a great selection of wine documentaries, some of which actually had a solid impact on the market, have a look HERE!
Hey Bartender
Barista
Lambic - About Time & Passion
Beers of Joy
Em Busca Da Cerveja Perfeita
(The Quest for the Perfect Beer). Literally a 60′ journey meeting Brewers, Scientists, Farmers… trying to answer the question “What is the perfect beer ? “. I was lucky enough to be part of that one! Thanks @HeitorDhalia. The documentary is for free here https://globoplay.globo.com/v/7804105/ but you’ll have to learn Portuguese….
Kings of Beer
Big production here! Budweiser has a story to share. One of the largest beer brand is on a mission to tell you that whatever the size and the very light nature of their beer, there’s a lot of love and dedication going into it. You may still not believe in the value of boiled beechwood infusion but at least you can have a look behind the scene.
Inspired by “Sideways” (wine documentary that sent Pinot Noir through the roof) 0or the more recent “Decanter”, “King of Beer” is probably too much of a self promotion to hit the right chord. Still a documentary very well directed by award-winning Sean Mullin!
How to Brew your first Beer
By Joshua Weissman, the man behind the popular blog slimpalate.com
“If you want to know how to brew beer, but don’t know where to start then you came to the right place. It’s fermentation Friday and today we are going over the long awaited beginner beer beer recipe for the saison that I’ve been brewing over the last few months. I wouldn’t say it’s the easiest thing in the world but it’s also not that hard once you actually do it and see for yourself.”
Can you make beer with supermarket ingredients ?
Alex (French Guy Cooking) teams up with Brad and Jonny (The Craft Beer Channel) for a 4 episodes epic brewing experience using only Supermarket ingredients…
“Challenge ! Trying to brew Beer using only foods and equipment we can buy in a supermarket…”
BIER! (Documentary)
“The best brewing documentary ever brewed”.
What makes a good beer? Who runs the show? How to survive as a small independent brewery? With the help of several personal stories, Friedrich Moser’s new documentary feature Beer! takes a deep dive into the international beer industry and the second most consumed beverage on the planet.
The Irish Pub (2013)
I’ll post a quote from The Washington Post that summarize it perfectly ““The Irish Pub, a lovingly laid-back documentary about the charms, liquid and otherwise, of the traditional Irish watering hole.”. It’s not brand new but it’s immortal.
Brewmaster
Brewmaster is an interesting look at the brewing industry, specifically the craft brewing industry, divided up into three approaches: First, there’s a general history of craft brewing in America and Europe, laid out on a timeline by some of the most “beer famous” names in the game. Second, the documentary follows beer enthusiast and educator Brian Reed on his quest to achieve the title of Master Cicerone, a highly skilled distinction that’s essentially a sommelier for beer. The third follow Drew Kostic, a lawyer with a dream of running his own brewery, and whose passion for the craft far outpaces that of his legal profession. Brewmaster threads these narratives together into about a 90-minute run-time that pairs perfectly with a pint or two.
Homebrewers are Cooks, Brewmasters are Chefs.
CHINGA TU PELO (F*** Your Hair) - 2019
Craft the California Beer (2015)
In the most epic of road trips, follow along as we learn about California’s amazing beer culture, history and influence from many of the leaders in the industry, including Sierra Nevada, Stone, Lagunitas, Ballast Point and Anchor Steam.
80 breweries. 1 month. This is Craft: The California Beer Documentary.
The Hopumentary
Hopumentary is a great tribute to everyone working tirelessly to connect the highest quality hops with the world’s finest brewers.
Produced by Yakima Chief Hops, Loftus Ranches and Balter Brewing!
