Boozy Book Reviews: 8 Top New Beer, Wine & Cider Books of Winter 2022
So many drink books are hitting store shelves this fall that we decided to list a few we’re most looking forward to reading. Recently we shared our picks for cocktail and spirits books, today we follow up with a selection of forthcoming books on beer, wine, and craft cider with unique and interesting approaches to their topics.
The Anchor Brewing Story: America's First Craft Brewery & San Francisco's Original Anchor Steam Beer
Brewery historian David Burkhart tells the tale of Anchor Brewing Co that was founded in the California Gold Rush and reborn in 1965 under the visionary Fritz Maytag. The brewery under his direction helped kickstart the modern craft beer movement and later the craft distilling movement as well. In addition to written history, book features three hundred images plus homebrew recipes for four of Anchor’s iconic brews including its most famous one, Anchor Steam.
Natural wine is a hot topic lately, and Aaron Ayscough’s visually-rich new book on the matter takes readers to the vineyards and chateaus of France and other countries and introduces us to many of the people who work in the fields and in the cellars. Made without additives and organically farmed, natural wine “has nothing to hide,” according to the book’s preview. It looks to be less of a book of brands and recommendations and more about the who and where, in addition to the how, this style of wine is made.
The Drunken Botanist but just for beer? It’s an enticing proposition, this illustrated compendium of more than 500 species of plants used in making beer around the world written and hand-drawn by botanist Giuseppe Caruso. The book promises the scientific classification, common names, historical uses, applications in beer making, and examples of beers and styles in which each plant is typically used.
Cider Planet: Exploring the Producers, Practices, and Unique Traditions of Craft Cider and Perry from Around the World by Claude Jolicoeur
Cider expert and author Claude Jolicoeur takes us on a tour of the world’s great existing cider regions, up and coming areas for production, and even to Kazakhstan in central Asia, the “birthplace of the domestic apple.” Along the way the book promises to teach us about regional apple varieties and the resulting styles of cider produced in each, plus a look at the pear-based cider perry.
Beer A Tasting Course: A Flavor-Focused Approach to the World of Beer by Mark Dredge
This coursebook offers guided tastings of more than 50 different beer styles after an introductory section on finding specific flavors in beer in general. The guided tastings are designed to reveal how each beer style’s unique taste, texture, aroma, and finish come together to inform its identity. Additionally, there are reviews of the best examples of brands in each category to explore further.
To Fall in Love, Drink This: A Wine Writer's Memoir by Alice Feiring
Prolific wine writer Alice Feiring’s latest book is not a tasting or production guide but a memoir of “wine, love, heartbreak, and the never-ending process of coming of age.” It is written as a series of personal essays on topics including romantic relationships and family history, with each accompanied by wine advice. I’m not sure exactly how the combination will work, but I look forward to finding out.
Crushed: How a Changing Climate Is Altering the Way We Drink by Brian Freedman
Wine writer Brian Freedman tackles the topic of global warming and how it has and will continue to impact what we drink. This includes wildfires resulting in smoke-tainted wines in California, hailstorm damaging vineyards in Bordeaux, and climate impacts to grain production that could end up altering our whiskey. (On the plus side, they can make quality sparkling wine in England now.) It looks to be an interesting peek into the changing future of booze.
The Wine Bible, 3rd Edition by Karen MacNeil
“Winner of every major wine award in the English language” Karen MacNeil releases the revised third edition of her million-copy-selling Wine Bible, now in full-color with over 400 new photos. Designed for readers at every level of wine knowledge, the latest edition has new sections on several countries (including England) and expanded chapters on many of the classic ones, plus an intriguing-sounding “Mastering Wine” section incorporating latest science on taste and smell.