The 50 Greatest Beers in World

The heightened interest in wine review we saw blossom in the nineties has given way to similar interest in beer review in recent years. Books like The Beer Lover's Rating Guide by Klein and Michael Jackson's various Beer Guides and Beer Companions dominate the market, but Stuart Kallen's simple book is far more approachable and to the point.The big beer guides contain ratings and reviews of between 1200 and 2000 brews--about 1750 more varieties than I have been able to find in the Madison area. Kallen focuses on the 50 beers you are likely to find nearly anywhere--excepting those few beers which are no longer produced (like the #2 Eisenbock): the text could use a quick update. His reviews discuss the unique history of the chosen beers, the way the beer is produced, and gives a sip-by-sip analysis of the beverage as it goes down. His text is a heartwarming introduction to my favorite new hobby.

Stuart A. Kallen demonstrates his prolific knowledge of the world's finest beers in this delightful tome which enlightens and practically intoxicates the reader with its scope and vivacity. Kallen transports his lucky readers far from the commercial boredom of limp, filtered macrobrews and delivers them to a fantastic world filled with deep. flavorful stouts and crisp, complex lagers. Kallen's book is a must have both for the young beer drinker seeking to escape the doldrums of today's mass-produced, watered-down society and the elder beer drinker who wishes to reflect upon and cherish the infinite pleasures delivered by the perfect brew.