Books

Good Honest Beer: The Story of a Midlands Dynasty
By Mark Young
Broad Street Publishing, September 2011, £15

Beer historians out there, this is one to add to your reference collection. Mark Young takes us back to England in the 19th century, when his great-grandfather, William Waters Butler, was working as a hairdresser’s assistant in Birmingham. Eventually, Butler co-founded the Midlands Brewing Company with Robert Mitchell, and the brewery ended up running for over 100 years. It’s hard to imagine how many hours Young spent in libraries poring over fragile old documents and eagerly awaiting responses from folks who might be able to give him a new lead, as he spent years gathering the details of this brewery’s story as well as the history of brewing in England. He writes of the past with respect and even awe, but avoids romanticizing it. Young even includes a number of illustrations and photographs that animate the characters and settings in the book. For anyone doing research of his or her own, Good Honest Beer should prove a valuable resource.

The CAMRA Guide to London’s Best Beer Pubs & Bars
By Des de Moor
CAMRA Books, November 2011, $19.95

A traditional city beer guide … with an emphasis on “traditional.” This CAMRA (“Campaign for Real Ale”) tome on the capital’s real ale scene takes on London neighborhood by neighborhood, no simple task considering there are multiple pubs dotting most city blocks. The book definitely focuses on venues with the best quality and variety of cask ales, though author Des de Moor also includes some pubs that serve imports and keg beer. He also didn’t limit his research to pubs—cinemas, department stores and bowling alleys that serve great ales were also considered, so pay attention to the way he categorizes them (e.g., “contemporary,” “social,” and, of course, “traditional”). Capturing the feel of each pub with vivid descriptions, menu highlights and glossy photos, this book is a necessity if you’re a beer geek heading to Londontown. ■