Great American Craft Beer: A Guide to the Nation's Finest Beers and Breweries Hardcover – August 10, 2010

I found this book on Amazon while looking for a gift for my beer-loving husband for Christmas. I ended up ordering one for him and one for my brother. Within moments of unwrapping these on Christmas Day 2010, the challenge was made, and accepted, to see who could try the most beers listed in this book by Christmas Day 2011. By the end of the week, a cousin had joined in, and THE QUEST was officially underway.They all three really enjoyed reading the detailed descriptions of the various beers. As previous reviewers have mentioned, this was especially helpful in pinpointing what exactly one likes or doesn't like in a beer. Although they were serious craft beer lovers before, through the many new and varied beers they tried while working their way through this book they all discovered new tastes and fine-tuned previous preferences. The Quest led to lots of fun adventures trying to get brews from all parts of the country, as the title is accurate as a guide to the nation's beers, and not just one region. The Quest also led to some great conversations with the owners of craft beer stores in several states. All were intrigued by the idea, and loved looking through the book and making their own comments.In addition to the hardcover books I gave, each of the guys ended up downloading the kindle version as well, so that they could have constant and easy access to the list through the app on their phones. The searchable quality of the kindle version was especially nice for when we found ourselves standing in the craft beer store, wondering if the bottle in front of us was worth a try.What really surprised me, as the wife of an adventurous beer drinker, was how much the book (and the Quest) expanded my own horizons. I've always smiled indulgently and ordered a "safe girl beer" when out with my hubby. But as the year went on, and the comparisons to each description in the book kept coming, I couldn't resist my own sampling. I discovered many styles that I liked, and thanks to the author's detailed breakdowns, I can say what I liked about them and find others like them.So, I highly recommend this for the serious beer drinker as well as the fun-loving experimenter. And, if you have any competitive men on your list, it makes the perfect gift!

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this new beer book; my shelves are lined with plenty of them. But this one sticks out as slightly atypical of other books. Its main draw for me were all of the flavor descriptors the author uses; "fresh oranges", "smoked meats", and "toasted caramel" are all indicative of the in depth portrayal given of the flavor profiles for the beers in this book. I think by beer style, is a great way to organize a book, but not all ipa's taste the same, for example. This book will allow you to find the citrusy/orangey ipa you crave, and stay away from the excessively bitter one you don't. Often times, especially for craft beer novices, help in the description of the flavors of what we drink is what we need most. This book hits the mark, and all the extra history, cooking tips, proper glassware recommendation, and the range of well-known to obscure breweries does as well!

This was a gift for my son, and he seemed happy to receive it, so I can't offer any pros or cons to this book. But it seemed to be a comprehensive overview of craft beers, and that's what I was looking for.

Very helpful for a cicerone ratingGave a very good history and understanding of the history of beer and pairings

Gifted

Excellent resource. Nice review of domestic beers and also types of brews. Good photos and additional information about the beer, brewer, location, etc. Good book for beginner or expert.

We gave it as a gift and our giftee toasted us.We're hoping he takes up craft brewing and we get a little something back.

Great coffee table book!