Charlie Bamforth:
"Beer is Proof that God Loves Us: Reaching for the Soul of Beer and Brewing"
-A great look at beer and brewing from a titan in the brewing sciences community. A spiritual perspective on beer (in a good way). One of the best personal narratives on beer that I've read. Very enjoyable read.
"Beer: Tap Into the Art and Science of Brewing"
-An extremely informative and entertaining writer, Charlie Bamforth expounds upon his great wealth of brewing science. This book contains much of the same information as his other books, but is worthwhile in its own right if you've read other Charlie Bamforth works.
Charlie Papazian:
"The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, 3rd edition"
-The first major publication from the Godfather of homebrewing, Charlie Papazian. A nuclear engineer turned homebrewing and craft beer evangelist, Mr. Papazian has introduced millions to the joy of homebrewing. Although there may be better primers available, The Complete Joy is arguably one of the most iconic. It has some excellent stories and black & white photos.
"Microbrewed Adventures: A Lupulin Filled Journey to the Heart and Flavor of the World's Great Craft Beers"
-Microbrewed Adventures is not a How-to book, but more of a travel journal of Charlie Papazian's experiences traveling the world in search of what the world has to offer beer drinkers. It contains great stories about beer, travel, as well as recipes not found in other of Papazian's works. Pick this one up to gain insight into the heart and soul of The Godfather of homebrewing.
Dennis Fisher & Joe Fisher:
"The Homebrewer's Garden: How to Easily Grow, Prepare, and Use Your Own Hops, Malts, and Brewing Herbs"
-The Homebrewer's Garden does just what the title implies: provides information on how to grow and use hops, cereal grains, and other plants for use in homebrewing. It contains useful diagrams of hop trellises, malting equipment you can easily build, and descriptive lists of little known brewing herbs. It also contains valuable gardening information regarding soil composition and how to make the most of your homebrewing garden.
Gordon Strong:
"Brewing Better Beer"
-This book, written by 3-time Ninkasi Award winner, Gordon Strong, is not (necessarily) for the novice homebrewer. Lacking an introduction to homebrewing (widely available in other books in this list), Strong assumes that his audience already knows how to brew beer. His goal is to help them brew "better" beer. He approaches his topic from a philosophical perspective, and includes an introductory chapter that outlines his philosophy of Zen and the art of brewing. Including some very interesting stories, Strong schools the reader in all things "better," with an emphasis on Brewing for Competition. As the highest ranking judge and primary writer of the Beer Judging Certification Program (BJCP) style guidelines, he knows a think or two about competitions (if you're into that sort of thing). There's some genuinely good brewing advice, too.
John Palmer:
"How To Brew"
-Although I don't own a copy of this book, I have read a lot of it. Much of it is available online. It is arguably within the top 2, if not THE foremost homebrewing how-to book available on the market today. In it, John Palmer guides the homebrewer through novice, intermediate, and advanced brewing techniques. He makes complex procedures and concepts accessible without dumbing them down. There are also unique sets of information not found in other homebrewing primers, including the metallurgy of brewing and black and white photos of a younger, thinner John Palmer among others (John Palmer was trained as a metallurgical engineer and, oddly enough, hails from Midland, Michigan). He also co-wrote Brewing Classic Styles with Jamil Zainasheff, and will soon be releasing a book on water chemistry with Colin Kaminski.
Randy Mosher:
"Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink"
-Also author of Radical Brewing, Randy Mosher is a graphic designer (clearly evident in this book) and beer evangelist, who also teaches courses at Chicago, Illinois' famed Siebel Institute. Tasting Beer shares stories and extensive knowledge on beer, beer tasting, and pairing beer with food. It does not provide detailed instruction on brewing, and does not purport to do so. Aside from Garrett Oliver's book (which, in fairness, I have not read), Mosher provides one of the most impassioned and accessible books on pairing beer with food, etc. Pick it up. You won't be disappointed.
"For the Love of Hops: The Practical Guide to Aroma, Bitterness, and the Culture of Hops"
-This book is part of a series of books by Brewers Publications which presents a compendium on each of the four main ingredients in beer: water, yeast, malt, and hops. I had intended to finish reading the book before publishing this post, but alas I have not. All I can say is that, so far, the book is well-written, detailed, and very interesting. It's intended audience is professional brewers and homebrewers alike. It includes such topics as hop breeding, cultivation, in addition to aroma, bitterness, etc. I may provide a more detailed review in the future, but that will have to wait for now. Nevertheless, pick it up. Some of you may reading it while sitting on the toilet as I write this post. Stan Hieronymus has written a number of other gems worth a look.
Michael Jackson:
The British beer writer/journalist, not the pederast. Michael Jackson (now deceased), was the authority on beer writing long before the advent of the American craft beer revolution. He has written a large bibliography of works on beer, scotch, and whiskey. He, along with a few others, helped to bring light to beer culture around the world. A force to be reckoned with in the pantheon of beer notables, any of his works will prove to be joyfully written, encyclopedic, beautifully illustrated, and artfully photographed.
As you continue your quest of great beer, whether that be homebrew or other great beers, bring along a little light (or heavy) reading. Above all, be fermentive.
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