In the 1970s and ’80s, the brewing industry shifted was from large corporate suppliers to smaller, independent “microbrewers,” typified by producers such as the Boston Beer Company and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Today, the market is going even smaller—with tiny, independent brewers setting up shop in neighborhood brew houses nationwide, focusing on crafting unique, flavorful brews specifically for their extremely local clientele. The reality is that beer is in the midst of a renaissance in this country, driven by a new class of these dedicated craft “nanobrewers” and growing communities of drinkers looking for something more from their daily brew—something higher-quality, more unique, more local. These microbrewers rent out small spaces or buy industrial equipment to install in their garages. They’re accountants, middle-school teachers, and plumbers who are passionate about beer and who dedicate their free time to producing three or so barrels of their own brew at a time. They sell their bottles to close friends and gift it to family members for birthdays and holidays. They enjoy what they do and they’re proud of their product. What’s it like inside these small-time brewing operations? What happens behind the scenes? What goes into making high-end craft beer on a small scale? True Beer takes an on-the-ground look at the ultra-small side of the craft brewing movement from the inside out by profiling a number of independent American breweries in detail and using that as a jumping-off point to examine the art and science of brewing, the local farmers and providers behind the scenes, the market itself as well as national trends in nanobrewing, and modern craft beer production. Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We’ve been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

"The bible for the D.I.Y set: detailed instructions for how to make your own sauerkraut, beer, yogurt and pretty much everything involving microorganisms."--The New York Times *Named a "Best Gift for Gardeners" by New York Magazine The original guide to kraut, kombucha, kimchi, kefir, and kvass; mead, wine, and cider; pickles and relishes; tempeh, koji, miso, sourdough and so much more...! Winner of the James Beard Foundation Book Award for Reference and Scholarship, and a New York Times bestseller, with more than a quarter million copies sold, The Art of Fermentation is the most comprehensive guide to do-it-yourself home fermentation ever published. Sandor Katz presents the concepts and processes behind fermentation in ways that are simple enough to guide a reader through their first experience making sauerkraut or yogurt, and in-depth enough to provide greater understanding and insight for experienced practitioners. While Katz expertly contextualizes fermentation in terms of biological and cultural evolution, health and nutrition, and even economics, this is primarily a compendium of practical information—how the processes work; parameters for safety; techniques for effective preservation; troubleshooting; and more. With two-color illustrations and extended resources, this book provides essential wisdom for cooks, homesteaders, farmers, gleaners, foragers, and food lovers of any kind who want to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for arguably the oldest form of food preservation, and part of the roots of culture itself. Readers will find detailed information on fermenting vegetables; sugars into alcohol (meads, wines, and ciders); sour tonic beverages; milk; grains and starchy tubers; beers (and other grain-based alcoholic beverages); beans; seeds; nuts; fish; meat; and eggs, as well as growing mold cultures, using fermentation in agriculture, art, and energy production, and considerations for commercial enterprises. Sandor Katz has introduced what will undoubtedly remain a classic in food literature, and is the first—and only—of its kind.

Alcohol consumption goes to the very roots of nearly all human societies. Different countries and regions have become associated with different sorts of alcohol, for instance, the “beer culture” of Germany, the “wine culture” of France, Japan and saki, Russia and vodka, the Caribbean and rum, or the “moonshine culture” of Appalachia. Wine is used in religious rituals, and toasts are used to seal business deals or to celebrate marriages and state dinners. However, our relation with alcohol is one of love/hate. We also regulate it and tax it, we pass laws about when and where it’s appropriate, we crack down severely on drunk driving, and the United States and other countries tried the failed “Noble Experiment” of Prohibition. While there are many encyclopedias on alcohol, nearly all approach it as a substance of abuse, taking a clinical, medical perspective (alcohol, alcoholism, and treatment). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol examines the history of alcohol worldwide and goes beyond the historical lens to examine alcohol as a cultural and social phenomenon, as well—both for good and for ill—from the earliest days of humankind.

A highly readable history of beer and the brewing industry around the world over the centuries, Hopped Up narrates the oscillations between distinctive regional and national preferences and the capitalist global standardization of beer style and taste in a work that will appeal to historians and beer connoisseurs alike.

Bringing together multidisciplinary scholars from the growing discipline of food studies, Food Mobilities examines food provisioning and the food cultures of the world, historically and in contemporary times. The collection offers a range of fascinating case studies, including explorations of Italian food in colonial Ethiopia, traditional Cornish pasties in Mexico, migrant community gardeners in Toronto, and beer all around the world. In exploring the origins of the contemporary global food system and how we cook and eat today, Food Mobilities uncovers the local and global circulation of food, ingredients, cooks, commodities, labour, and knowledge.

Viking Age Brew brings beer history alive and takes readers on a lavishly illustrated tour of rustic brewhouses fueled by wood and passion. Sahti is a Nordic farmhouse ale that is still crafted in accordance with ancient traditions dating back to early medieval times and the Viking Age. Sahti is often thought of as a freak among beer styles, but this book demonstrates that a thousand years ago such ales were the norm in northern Europe, before the modern-style hopped beer we drink today reached the masses. Viking Age Brew is the first English-language book to describe the tradition, history and hands-on brewing of this ale. Whether you are a brewing virgin or an experienced brewer, the book unlocks the doors to brewing sahti and other ancient ales from medieval times and the Viking Age.

In this companion volume to the Long Island Beer Guide, Donavan Hall gives the full story of his first year as a professional beer writer. Donavan decides to quit his day job and embark on a new career as a craft beer adventurer. After relocating to Long Island from sunny Florida, Donavan gets back into homebrewing and meets Mike who takes him on his first beer adventure in Boston. Then Donavan travels to Baltimore to crawl the bars of Fells Point. He returns to hook up with Mike and Rich for a tour of Brooklyn. Then he hops on an airplane for the Pacific Northwest to experience really hoppy beer in its native habitat, followed by a jaunt to Denver. Then he's back on a plane bound (this time) for England; he's looking for Real Ale. Exhausted, Donavan tries to take his family on a vacation to Pennsylvania only to find a surfeit of brewpubs including the unique Bube's Brewery in Mount Joy. In the end Donavan returns home to New York with a clear vision of vocation as a beer evangelist.

On November 15, 1980, two young homebrewers opened a microbrewery in northern California, naming it after the nearby mountain range. Thirty years later, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is widely recognized as a leader of the craft brewing revolution that has changed American beer's reputation around the world. Rob Burton's original research as a customer and his professional interactions with the young founders and personnel, describes the stories behind the company's astonishing rise to success. This is the first book written about the Chico brewery.