I’ve spoke of my love of reference books in the past. Specifically, the old Baseball Encyclopedia was one that would hold my interest for hours on end as a kid. I would check it out from the library regularly and keep it the maximum time. I would lay on the carpet in front of the heater and pour over statistics of players I’d never seen play, but felt like I had known. Now as an adult, it may be time to renew that old habit.
1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die is an encyclopedia of beers that are relevant in the world of beer. In the introduction, editor Adrian Tierney-Jones makes it clear, this isn’t the 1001 best beers in the world. This book represents 1001 of the most relevant beers in the world, which is why you’ll see such beers like Budweiser and other industrial beers.
The pages are easy to ready with information such as country of origin, ABV and in some cases photos of the beer. Each review gives you a little history as well as what to expect from the beer. Broken into 4 categories, the book lends itself to casual flipping to discover a new beer or using the index to read about your favorites.
It took 42 writers to compile all the information, including some of my favorites Jay Brooks, Lisa Morrison, Pete Brown and Stan Hieronymus. A total of 69 countries are represented. Of the numerous breweries represented, Rogue and Fullers were leaders, with 7 beers featured from each brewery.
Personally, I’ve tried 234 of the 1001 beers (yes, I counted) and may start trying to knock more of those beers off the list. More than anything, this book will be a great reference to have around the house for friends when teaching them about beer. Place it on the coffee table as you’ll find plenty of opportunities to open it up and browse through the pages.
