Beer For Dummies

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting a Taste of Beer 5

Chapter 1: Drink Up! Beginning with Beer Basics 7

Chapter 2: From the Sublime to the Ridiculous: Beer Ingredients 17

Chapter 3: A Little Brew Magic: Understanding How Beer Is Made 25

Part 2: Taking a Look at Beer Styles -- Old, New, and Revived, Too 35

Chapter 4: Getting to Know the Mother Beer Categories: Ales, Lagers, and More 37

Chapter 5: Investigating "Real" Ale 61

Chapter 6: Exploring Barrel-Aged and Wood-Aged Beer 73

Chapter 7: Acid Trips: In Search of Sour Beer 85

Chapter 8: Checking Out Organic, Gluten-Free, and Kosher Beer 93

Chapter 9: Is Beer Going to Pot? Hemp Beer, CBD Beer, and THC Beer 105

Part 3: Buying and Enjoying Beer 113

Chapter 10: The Better Way to Buy Beer 115

Chapter 11: Looking at Label Lunacy and Marketing Mayhem 127

Chapter 12: Serving Beer 135

Chapter 13: Making Your Buds Wiser: Tasting and Evaluating Beer 149

Chapter 14: Dining with Beer 163

Chapter 15: Cooking with Beer 173

Part 4: Exploring Beer Around the World and at Home 189

Chapter 16: Who Really Owns Which Brands? 191

Chapter 17: Sampling Beer in North America 201

Chapter 18: Trying Beer Around the World 219

Chapter 19: Embarking on Beer Travel and Tours 239

Chapter 20: Brewing Beer at Home 253

Chapter 21: Beer in the Digital World 285

Part 5: The Part of Tens 293

Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Grow Your Appreciation of Beer 295

Chapter 23: The Ten Best Beer Cities in the World (And a Few Extras) 303

Chapter 24: The Ten Best Beer Festivals in the World 311

Chapter 25: The Ten Most Important Beer Competitions in the World 319

Part 6: Appendixes 327

Appendix A: A Quick Guide to Beer Styles and Stats 329

Appendix B: A Short History of Beer (For the True Beer Nut) 339

Index 351