Before I review Randy Mosher’s “Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink,” let me give you a few calibration points so you can decide whether to take my opinions seriously or not. I definitely qualify as a serious beer geek. My travels around the U.S. always involve visits to brewpubs. I’ll drive hundreds of miles out of my way to have a good craft brew, and I attend as many beer festivals each year as I possibly can. My favorite beers are Imperial stouts, barleywines and Imperial I.P.A.s, such as Alesmith’s Speedway, Stone’s Old Guardian and Moylan’s Hopsickle (among many others). I enjoy the occasional Belgian (the funkier the better), and I consider Fat Tire to be an overly hyped “training-wheels beer” for people who don’t know any better. I wouldn’t drink a Bud, Coors or Miller if I were dying of thirst, and (yes, it’s true) I tend to be a little snobbish toward people who are unwilling to expand their beer tastes beyond the Big Three. So, with that said, what did I think of “Tasting Beer?”
Well, there’s a remarkable amount of information in its 247 pages, all of it presented in a very nicely integrated text-and-picture form. No matter what aspect of beer culture you’re interested in, you’ll find it covered to a useful level of detail in “Tasting Beer.” Do you want to know more about the history of beer? It’s in there, from 10,000 years BCE to the present, in a fascinating 22-page section. Do you want to improve your abilities to taste beer, and to accurately describe its qualities and complexity?
It’s in there–you’ll learn how to distinguish 25 common flavors such as diacetyl, isoamyl acetate and fusels, and whether they’re desirable or not. Are you interested in becoming more sophisticated in pairing beer with food? It’s in there, both general guidelines and specific recommendations. Do you want to bone up on the bewildering variety of beer styles available? They’re all in there, from the lightest adjunct lagers to Imperial stouts. Each style is described and characterized in great detail, including suggestions for which beers you should try that best represent the styles.
There’s a whole chapter on the modern American craft beer movement and its new styles such as wet-hopped ales, ultra-strong beers and other experimental types. I found the charts showing beer color, strength, etc., as a function of style to be especially interesting and useful, although all of the graphics and figures are exceptionally well done.
“Tasting Beer” is the best single volume of beer lore that I’ve read in many years. It is so good that a few of my other older beer books became redundant and have now found their way into the public library donation box. There should still be a place in the beer lover’s inventory for such books as Roger Protz’s “The Ale Trail” and Garrett Oliver’s “The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food.” But if you own only one beer book, “Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink,” should be it. Cheers!
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16 responses so far ↓
1 Bewley
A fantastic wealth of information. Everyone should start with this book, and amateurs won’t need another.
2 Newhall
An excellent book for any brewer at any skill level. The photos really help the first time brewer visualize their setup. Detailed “what to do in each case” studies cover problems faced by the more skilled brewer. The author is not afraid to make measurements of chemical properties, explain what’s happening in each step, and go beyond recipes into the whys of each ingredient.
3 Eriksson
I am relatively new to Home brewing, only third batch, but have read several books already. By far this is the book to get to bring you from novice to advanced brewer. It will go through step by step in easy to understand language how to brew some good beer. In later chapters you learn too much to apply immediately to your next batch of beer but not long after that information becomes invaluable as you come full circle in the brewing process. i consider this the most valuable piece of brewing equipment that I have bought to date.
Prost! Happy Homebrewing!
4 Ervin
I bought this for my boyfriend who loves beer so much he wants to make his own! He is a pretty science-savvy guy so this book was perfect for him! We will be on our way to homemade brew in no time!
5 Aikin
Here’s a rundown on what this book has:
1.) Detailed explainations on how brewing works, and all the different parts (grains / hops / yeast).
2.) Detailed instructions on how to do an all extract batch, intermediate batch (extract plus some grains), and an all grain batch. Even has pictures!
3.) Instructions on how to make things like a mash tun, from common items such as a cooler.
4.) Several different recipes.
5.) And more!
I found this book to be very easy to read and understand. I really like how it has info on how to do really simple batches (using extract), as well as intermediate (batches utilizing seeping of grains), and full blown all grain batches. If you were hoping for one book to give you the information you needed to get started with home brewing it’s a great choice.
6 Lanterman
Before I review Randy Mosher’s “Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink,” let me give you a few calibration points so you can decide whether to take my opinions seriously or not. I definitely qualify as a serious beer geek. My travels around the U.S. always involve visits to brewpubs. I’ll drive hundreds of miles out of my way to have a good craft brew, and I attend as many beer festivals each year as I possibly can. My favorite beers are Imperial stouts, barleywines and Imperial I.P.A.s, such as Alesmith’s Speedway, Stone’s Old Guardian and Moylan’s Hopsickle (among many others). I enjoy the occasional Belgian (the funkier the better), and I consider Fat Tire to be an overly hyped “training-wheels beer” for people who don’t know any better. I wouldn’t drink a Bud, Coors or Miller if I were dying of thirst, and (yes, it’s true) I tend to be a little snobbish toward people who are unwilling to expand their beer tastes beyond the Big Three. So, with that said, what did I think of “Tasting Beer?”
Well, there’s a remarkable amount of information in its 247 pages, all of it presented in a very nicely integrated text-and-picture form. No matter what aspect of beer culture you’re interested in, you’ll find it covered to a useful level of detail in “Tasting Beer.” Do you want to know more about the history of beer? It’s in there, from 10,000 years BCE to the present, in a fascinating 22-page section. Do you want to improve your abilities to taste beer, and to accurately describe its qualities and complexity? It’s in there–you’ll learn how to distinguish 25 common flavors such as diacetyl, isoamyl acetate and fusels, and whether they’re desirable or not. Are you interested in becoming more sophisticated in pairing beer with food? It’s in there, both general guidelines and specific recommendations. Do you want to bone up on the bewildering variety of beer styles available? They’re all in there, from the lightest adjunct lagers to Imperial stouts. Each style is described and characterized in great detail, including suggestions for which beers you should try that best represent the styles. There’s a whole chapter on the modern American craft beer movement and its new styles such as wet-hopped ales, ultra-strong beers and other experimental types. I found the charts showing beer color, strength, etc., as a function of style to be especially interesting and useful, although all of the graphics and figures are exceptionally well done.
“Tasting Beer” is the best single volume of beer lore that I’ve read in many years. It is so good that a few of my other older beer books became redundant and have now found their way into the public library donation box. There should still be a place in the beer lover’s inventory for such books as Roger Protz’s “The Ale Trail” and Garrett Oliver’s “The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food.” But if you own only one beer book, “Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink,” should be it. Cheers!
7 Gundersen
Tasting Beer is a good all around introduction to the history, diversity, and enriching ways to explore beer.
While it might be useful to share with beer novices and help break quite a few stereotypes and misunderstanding, it is also a nice volume for beer aficionados with plenty of advice and insightful background.
If anything the book might suffer from some top-down style narrative. Mosher tries hard to be amicable and casual, and more often than not does it well, but his occasional cheekiness sometimes can have a patronizing undertone. And while certainly this is a book that emcompasses a broad Western global perspective of beer, he slips a few times adressing exclusively a US readership, which for obvious reasons I find limiting and unnecessary.
And yet, these flaws remain in the background of what is a quite recommendable book. While I am just a small aficionado, he supported and expanded those things that I felt comfortable in knowing already, and excited the senses to explore quite a few that I did not know about, or did not know at that level of detail.
8 Russel
Randy Mosher has been well-known in serious beer and homebrewing circles for years. His earlier book, Radical Brewing, is a classic for anyone interested in brewing and a wondrous font of cool recipes for beers to brew at home. Tasting Beer is a much more approachable work, aimed more at the general audience of beer drinkers out there than at us “beer geeks”. It provides a broad overview of styles, tips on pairing beer with food, proper glassware and serving techniques, historical perspectives, and even the basics of sensory evaluation of beer. Profusely illustrated, including many helpful charts and diagrams comparing various styles of beer, this really is an exceptional work. It would make a perfect gift for anyone who is at all interested in any aspect of modern craft brewing. I like to think I’m fairly well-read when it comes to beer, but I was still fascinated and picked up several new and interesting beer facts.
If you’re at all interested in beer, don’t miss this great new book!
9 Oglivie
As complex as a full-bodied ale, //Tasting Beer// reveals the depth and versatility of this ancient brew. Author Randy Mosher provides an in-depth history of beer, the scientific reaction our bodies have to taste, sight, and smell, and notes on beer vocabulary (which includes words other than “cheers!”). It must be noted that this is a richly educational book, and passive enthusiasts need not approach it. Mosher wants his reader to gain a deeper appreciation of the brewing process, the differences between pale ales and lagers, in which glass to serve your frothy beverage, and how regions of the world from America to Belgium are crafting unique varieties. Mosher even grants you permission to send a beer back–and you’ll learn why. Beyond popping open the bottle at a pizza parlor, you’ll learn about pairing beer with food and how to make the most of a beer festival. Once hooked (as if you weren’t already), you’ll learn how you can continue to expand your beer appreciation through beer forums, home brewing, and more books about beer. Most true beer lovers understand this is a complex beverage. If you want to know why, dive into this satisfying book–and make sure to do so with a cold one in your hand!
Reviewed by
Amber K. Stott
10 French
This book is a great book for any beer lover whether you are going to be a beer judge or not. Mosher goes through history, tips, and loads of information on beer and tasting. The book begins with a very brief history of beer and moves pretty quickly into the aspects of tasting. Mosher uses the most up to date information (apparently we can taste 6 types of flavor rather than the main 4 that we were all taught in elementary school – and the old locations on the tongue were incorrect) to educate and teach the reader as well as to enhance the experience of tasting in general. The final section of the book looks through the different styles and what to look for in each one. Overall a great resource for any beer lover.
11 Tharin
In addition to the Mr. Beer Premium Gold Edition Home Brew Kit, I also purchased the Mr. Beer Premium Edition Home Microbrewery System. The only difference between the Gold Edition is that the former has two Brew Packs instead of one. This edition is the mid-level offering. In my opinion, it’s the most value packed one because in addition to your first Brew Pack, it also comes with 8 1-liter plastic bottles and caps.
As a beginning home brewer, I didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on an elaborate home brew kit nor have to read tons of books on how to do it. My goal was to try it, and if I liked the finished product, play with it some more.
Well, after my first two batches of Mr. Beer brew, a lager and a pale ale, I can attest to the simplicity and convenience of this product. The beer making process was somewhat simple. I followed the directions that came with the kit about sanitizing, brewing, bottling, and conditioning almost to the letter. Almost anyone with a high school reading level can make their own beer using a Mr. Beer kit without terribly screwing anything up. The beer that is fermenting in the Mr. Beer keg doesn’t make your entire house reek of a micro-brewery. As a matter of fact, the only time you do smell beer is when you’re preparing the wort and when bottling. Although I’m not really a fan of the light beers, I was quite happy with my first couple batches of home brew and have subsequently ordered more Mr. Beer refills from Amazon.
If you want fast, effort-less beer, visit BevMo! My own bit of advice to getting optimal flavor in your brew is to be patient. Let the beer brew (ferment) in the keg for two weeks to give it favor and alcohol content. Then after bottling, let it sit for two more weeks to fully carbonate. Finally, let it chill in the refrigerator for 2 weeks before enjoying your home brew. It’s the 2-2-2 rule! Bottoms up!
Rather than using glass bottles, which probably look better and feel more like beer in your hands, I prefer to use the plastic bottles. I think plastics are easier to clean, not prone to bursting or breaking like glass, and you can easily tell if your beer is fully carbonated by squeezing the bottle. Since this brew kit only came with 8 1-Liter bottles and I had multiple fermenters, I needed to get more bottles! Rather than paying $14.99 for the Mr. Beer empty bottles on Amazon, I decided to buy the 16 oz. plastic 7-Up bottles instead. One Mr. Beer fermenter will yield 16 of the 16 oz. bottles of beer. As long as you use plastic bottles made to hold carbonated beverages, you can use it to bottle your Mr. Beer home brew. If you want to use the smaller 12 oz. soda bottles, you will require 21 12 oz. bottles for your 2 gallon batch of Mr. Beer.
My only complaint is that Amazon doesn’t sell the other ingredients nor accessories sold only on the Mr. Beer website, such as the Unhopped Malt Extract which allows you to add additional flavor, body, alcohol and malt characteristics to your beer. However, you have to pay quite a bit for shipping, and you only get free shipping if your order totals $99. However, with their Brew Club, members get $5 shipping on all club orders over $29.99. Happy green brewing!
12 Etienne
I should probably wait until I use this product to review, so I may come back and edit my review after the fact. I just wanted to say that I’ve gotten a LOT of great tips from the commenters on this site. I will use unhopped liquid malt instead of the booster and liquid yeast instead of the dry. I will buy the swing top glass bottles for sure. My first batch is going to be an Octoberfest Cream Ale and I may add some brown sugar or chocolate to it. The possibilities are endless!
The product arrived VERY quickly. I just ordered it 4 days ago–no joke! And everything was perfect. It was not dusty or broken or missing any parts. The book that came with the product was really nice too. I am new to making beer so I liked how the book broke down what each ingredient did and how it explained the history of beer making. The book also contains really great recipes!! The Mr Beer website is really helpful too. These guys truly love the beer making process and it shows!
My husband is very excited that I am embarking on this new hobby. Imagine making beer for your friends instead of buying them presents! At this great price and in this economy, it seems crazy to NOT buy one of these kits.
Keep up the great tips on here, commenters! They are greatly appreciated.
13 Atkinson
Great product, easy to use and produces great results. I have brewd 3 batches of beer with this kit, and all have been great tasting and easy to make. This kit is a great way to start Home brewing. Mr Beer offers lots of online Recipies and brewing supplies to go beyond basic brews. I like the 2 gallon brew keg, because it is easy to keep it on the counter in the kitchen without taking up a ton of space. Highly Recomended 5 stars
14 Foley
I bought this for my husband last year for Christmas and he finally got around to brewing it a few months ago. Great stuff! We had the lager, I think, and it was pretty good. He asked for refill brew stuff and I ordered extra bottles to keep the supply stocked! We live in PA where the beer laws are ridiculous and they only sell cases at enormous prices so it’s nice to have this alternative.
15 Nyland
I got Mr. Beer for my husband and he loves it! Just follow some simple directions, wait a couple weeks, and you end up with beer you made yourself. There are many different varieties to try and you can find recipes to make many more.
16 Idle
This book is definitely aimed towards the person who’s just starting to dabble in expanding his taste in beers. It’s got lots of beautiful photographs and descriptions of beer from around the world. It organizes the beer by type, which is really helpful in focusing your likes and dislikes. It also lists beers by their season of release and by the type of food they go with. The book is extremely user friendly, and as I’ve already said is generally beautiful. It’s a perfect coffee table book. While it should not be your primary reference for all things brewed, it is great for beginners.
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