Introduction 1

Part I: Getting a Taste of Beer 7

Chapter 1: Drink Up! Beginning with Beer Basics 9

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

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

Part II: 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 59

Chapter 6: Exploring Barrel-Aged and Wood-Aged Beer 71

Chapter 7: Diving In to Extreme Beer 81

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

Part III: Buying and Enjoying Beer 105

Chapter 9: The Better Way to Buy Beer 107

Chapter 10: Looking at Label Lunacy and Marketing Mayhem 119

Chapter 11: Serving Beer 133

Chapter 12: Making Your Buds Wiser: Tasting and Evaluating Beer 147

Chapter 13: Dining with Beer 161

Chapter 14: Cooking with Beer 171

Part IV: Exploring Beer around the World and at Home 187

Chapter 15: Sampling Beer in North America 189

Chapter 16: Trying Beer in Europe, Asia, and Elsewhere 209

Chapter 17: Embarking on Beer Travel and Tours 231

Chapter 18: Brewing Beer at Home 247

Part V: The Part of Tens 277

Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Grow Your Appreciation of Beer 279

Chapter 20: The Ten Best Beer Cities in the World (And a Few Extras) 287

Chapter 21: The Ten Best Beer Festivals in the World 295

Part VI: Appendixes 301

Appendix A: A Quick Guide to Beer Styles and Stats 303

Appendix B: A Short History of Beer (For the True Beer Nut) 315

Index 325