Hasta La Ideas

A compact illustrated guide to mastering at-home brewing

Any excitable amateur who dreams of making their own bathtub brew knows there’s a plethora of literature serving up more opinions, instructions and methods than any one determined brewmeister could ever sift through. That’s why Beer Craft, written by two actual amateur beer enthusiasts, makes a refreshing take on the endlessly fascinating culture.

William Bostwick and Jessi Rymill deliver all the info needed to get started making your own pints, from the mash to the boil to the bottle. There are chapters on personal branding, food pairings and an encyclopedic breakdown of most every type of beer imaginable. All of this is supplemented by Fantastic infographics to help visualize goals and make you the hottest hop-head on the block. Interviews with powerhouse microbrewers from all over the U.S. include start-up stories, specialty beers and useful insight into today’s large-scale independent beer breweries.

One of the greatest aspects of Beer Craft is the attention to detail and promotion of experimentation. The field guides to hops, malts and grain give extensive explanations of the functions of these ingredients, their ranges, uses and the effects they have on flavoring brews. Using these sections as guidelines, you can work to develop a truly unique taste; the authors encourage tinkering to help achieve your product — because after all, good beer is science.

Beer Craft is available on Amazon or Indiebound, and be sure to check out the website for great supplemental materials including links to local brewing suppliers.