Books

Shelf Talker by | Oct 2011 | Issue #57

The Oxford Companion to Beer
Edited by Garrett Oliver
Oxford University Press, USA, October 2011, $65.00

With over 1,100 encyclopedia-style entries written by 166 beer afficionados, The Oxford Companion isn’t your standard beer book. Of course, detailed profiles of each style are found throughout the tome. But it also covers everything from the “history and geography of homebrewing” (even throwing in a nod to Canada), to biographical entries of the industry pros. Oliver also made sure to touch on the less-discussed cultural implications of beer, including an entry on pub games and one on the economic effects of brewing. With dozens of color-popping glossy photographs and precise, well-researched detail, The Oxford Companion to Beer will surprise you with something new every time you pick it up.

The Belgian Beerkitchen: 70 Belgian Beerrecipes
By Mario Cattoor and Emmie Declerck
Borgerhoff & Lamberigts, 2008, €14.95

Is there anything more charming than the idiosyncrasies of translated Dutch? As the Belgian food and beercraze peaks here in the States, returning to this classic beercookbook by bespectacled chef Mario Cattoor and beer connoisseur Emmie Declerck is a must. Brabant Monkfish with Gueuze Boon, anyone? How about Peppery Hare with Rochefort 10? Each simple recipe is just a page long, punctuated by full-page photos of Cattoor’s delectable-looking creations. Tasting notes on featured beers, like Keizer Karel and Piedboeuf, conclude the book. And there’s a vegetarian section. Beerbook perfection.