Beer Pairing
By Julia Herz and Gwen Conley
$25, Voyageur Press
Geeks get excited: This is the food book you’ve been waiting for. It’s a graduate-level book for the beer- and food-minded, examining raw ingredients; storage, glassware, and serving; and the nitty-gritty of color, nuanced flavor and fermentation. You’ll need a pencil, a notebook and a well-stocked kitchen, but will come out the other side a more thoughtful steward of pairings. It’s a deep dive into the science behind every aspect of brewing and the way humans react to flavor. It’s also U.S.-centric. In a chapter on pairing beer by style, the authors give detailed information on popular international beers and proceed to give only American-made examples, ignoring offerings from the country of origin. Far from a casual read, it’s a resource for chefs, brewers and serious enthusiasts looking to be beer pros.
John Holl
John is the editor of All About Beer Magazine and the author of three books, including The American Craft Beer Cookbook. Find him on Twitter @John_Holl.