Above is the bible, so to speak, for craft beer drinking in New England. If you don't own it, I suggest you get it now! Andy Crouch, an excellent beer writer for different publications, does a remarkable job with this guide to breweries, brew pubs and beer barsthroughout New England. Its nicely divided up into sections on each New England state and very easy to use as a directory or just to read for the wealth of information it provides.

One thing that really makes this book great is that Andy personally visits all the places in the book (Slopes up in Presque Isle, Maine is one he didn't get to, but I forgive you Andy...thats a long way to drive for a minimal beer selection) and writes up very informative reviews for each.

I love how Andy also inserts sections between reviews about things like the brewing process, enjoying beer, understanding beer styles and even a list of "11 great New England beer bars"! It adds a really nice touch to an already fantastic book. He also gives a short history lesson about beer and brewing preceding the section on each state. There is even a glossary of beer terms in the back of the book!

I've been toting this book around with me for while now and highlighting the places I've been to. Its such a great accompaniment when visiting a brewery or brewpub. You get the stats and the history of each places as well as a great overall review of the beer quality. Andy even throws in a section in each review about his favorite beer from the place he is reviewing.

Labels: Book Reviews