United Nations of Beer

The Beer Book

by Ashley Cotter-Cairns
(UNOB Towers)

The Beer Book
Editor-in-Chief: Tim Sampson
DK Publishing

Before I even begin this review, I ought to mention that it will not do this exceptional book justice. I am under extreme time pressure. In an ideal world, I would be reclining in a soapy bath with a sixer of some awesome microbrew and this for company.

But it's not an ideal world. So I will have to do my best. The Beer Book is a weighty tome; hardcover and around 350pp with the index, it's a really chunky, satisfying brick of a book that will make an impressive present for beer lovers. And that's BEFORE they open it.

It begins with an introduction to the history of beer, before diving into the main meat of the book: Beers to Travel For. This is broken down country by country, including the US, Germany, the British Isles, Belgium and the Czech Republic before skimming the surface of the Rest of the World.

Each country has a focus of several important breweries, but most impressive of all is the quality of the photography. Bottled beers line up in rows across page after page, with mini reviews beneath. You'll find yourself smiling over the ones you've tried and salivating after the ones you haven't.

Any amateur beer reviewers who have taken snaps of bottles at home (ahem!) will be blown away by the quality of the photos.

Somehow, they even managed to get perfect, identical lighting on every single bottle. They all look stunningly beautiful and delicious.

Articles on beer styles, glasses, pairing with food and more space out the main text.

It would be a very miserly beer fan (with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject) who looked this gift horse in the mouth. For the masses who love beer and want to find out more, The Beer Book is a must-have. Highly recommended. Now, what shall I drink in that bubble bath...