Beer may be the common beverage of the people but it is far from simple. With 10 000 years of history more than 900 identified flavours dozens of styles & thousands of breweries around the world beer is as complex as its grape-based neighbors in the liquor stores. It is an artistic creation brewed from dozens of possible ingredients & processed in hundreds of different ways. Mosher guides readers to a better understanding of how every batch of beer is affected by each of the brewmaster's choices
- recipe formulation brewhouse procedures yeasts fermentations carbonation filtration packaging & much more. Beer can be light dark mild strong flat or fizzy. Hundreds of tastes can be detected in beer from resin to toast & from apple to smoke. Readers will learn how to identify the scents colors flavors & mouth-feel of all the major beer styles. There are also chapters on proper serving & storage conditions & classic beer & food pairings. The second half of the book is a style-by-style compendium of the different brews within major beer families including American craft brews British lagers German ales & Belgian Dubbels. For each style there are historical & regional facts taste & aroma characteristics seasonal availability food pairings & a few terrific recommendations for readers to sample.