The Quad Cities have a rich history of brewing that started with the influx of German citizens in the 1800s. Breweries were established on both sides of the Mississippi River. Some of these historic breweries managed to reopen after Prohibition, but national competition ultimately closed the last of these stalwarts in 1956. In 1989, Iowa created a special class "A" brewpub permit, and the first of many brewpubs in the area, Front Street Pub & Eatery, opened in 1992. Blue Cat Brew Pub, on the Illinois side of the river, opened shortly after. The brewing renaissance has helped to establish the Quad Cities as a craft beer destination. Join authors Michael McCarty and Kristin DeMarr as they celebrate the heady heritage of the region.

Explore Illinois mug-by-mug!

Beer has traveled with America through time as this is a ride to celebrate it. Finding craft brews all over the country and experiencing the area with a beer in hand. Because beer is not just a drink. It’s that drink we share with friends, we have at the game, and have at our celebrations. So this is about traveling across the country sharing many of the stops that people know and spots you may not know about and the beers along the way. It’s not enough just to enjoy the trip but also to understand how beer has fit into society. Not an in-depth history but a general overview of some major moments in the evolution of beer. With historic notes along the way so along the trip you can learn about the journey beer has had. From ancient times to modern times beer has evolved as well. The beer evolution has over the years transformed into many different styles of today. Also how the drink has been seen and grown in popularity in America. It just hasn’t been universally accepted as a popular drink from the beginning like some seem to think it has. It’s these points through history which make the trip that much more interesting. When it comes to styles it seems there are too many to count. Instead of trying to name and define each one which is what many seem to try to do. Rather, help define many of the terms used in the styles and the general meanings to get a better idea of what brews are like. It’s not about defining a taste profile but more defining the core characteristics that make up the nomenclature and where they may draw their roots from. Then you can better enjoy the beer versus trying to measure it up to some taste standard. Most of all this is a celebration of the classic American road trip. With an eye to the craft beers which makes America unique in the brewing world. So it’s not just the mass of brewpubs in Portland or California but what you can find near the Grand Canyon or along the skyline drive on the East Coast to raise a pint. Great beers aren’t just in major cities but in small towns all across the country and no matter where you go there is likely a brewery in the area making something worth checking out. From the Great Plains, Gulf coast, or west Texas you can find something to see, experience and drink. That is what the book is about. Not just a fun ride but an experience of circling the country with a mind on area and beers you can find. It’s a call to ride with a mind for beer. Have a flight and find what you can see and learn along the way.

A dynamic and ambitious mayor gathers his closest advisors for a fishing trip at the Outer Banks. There they will plan his campaign for governor. Mayor Brandsgard is smart and charming, a homegrown boy from Davenport, Iowa who appears destined for greatness. Joining him are his privileged wife, his attorney, the shrewd political pro who serves as his chief of staff, his brilliant policy wonk and Cutter, his quixotic wordsmith and confidante. They bring with them all the skills and audacity needed to take their mayor to the statehouse...and beyond. They also bring individual baggage--baggage which will impact their collective future. Especially Cutter's. In his captivating debut work, J. Woodburn Barney unites his readers with the human experience--with their own experience--by drawing attention to the percussion of everyday life. Written by someone who has lived a lifetime observing, its pages are filled with revealing internal dialogue, vulnerable human connections and the type of twists life throws at you. With his skilled character development and authentic depiction of human interaction, he creates a familiar and fascinating illustration of the impact that life can have on life. Ultimately, Barney let this story "be whatever it wanted to be." Keywords: Outer Banks, Quad Cities, Friendship, Emotional Baggage, Politics, Love Story, Nicknames, Vulnerability

Like the mighty Mississippi River that cleaves the Quad Cities, the region's history can trap the unwary in some unexpected eddies. Peer through the fog of the past to catch a glimpse of the Tinsmith Ghost of Rock Island or the river serpent with a price on its head. Get the back story on the Banshee of Brady Street, read the 1869 report on a Bigfoot sighting near East Davenport and run the numbers on local UFO activity. From phantom footsteps in the Renwick Mansion to a mausoleum heist in Chippiannock Cemetery, Michael McCarty and John Brassard Jr. trace a path through the shadowy heritage of the Quad Cities.

Craft Beer World is the must-have companion for anyone who appreciates decent beer. The last few years have seen an explosion in the popularity of craft beers across the globe, with excellent new brews being produced everywhere from Copenhagen to Colorado, Amsterdam to Auckland. With more amazing beers available than ever before, it's hard to know which ones to choose. That's where Craft Beer World comes in. Gathering together over 300 of the most innovative and tastiest beers you need to try, and divided into 50 different catagories, you will find the best of the best each style has to offer. Every category comes with an explanation of the key characteristics of the style - whether it's an American IPA bursting with citrusy C-hops or an Imperial Stout full of dark roasted malts - along with an example of a classic brew and a selection of cutting edge versions that are certain to become instant favourites. So whether you're looking for bitter beers or balanced flavours, a hit of hops or a hint of coffee, the reviews will point you in the right direction to find the perfect beer to suit your tastebuds. Also included throughout the book are interesting nuggets of beer information, covering everything from the catalyst that has caused the astonishing growth in craft beer through to matching beer with food and how to serve your drinks.Mark Dredge is an award-winning beer writer and runs the popular blog Pencil and Spoon where he writes about anything ale-related. Mark has won awards from the British Guild of Beer Writers in 2009, 2010 and 2011, his work is featured in leading publications across the globe and he's an international beer judge.

When Great Britain levied heavy taxes against the colonies, the Eastern Shore's first beer geek, John Beale Bordley, swore off English ales and set his substantial estate to perfecting his own home brews. It took another two centuries and a revolution of a different kind to bring brewing back to the Maryland shore. In 1989, Wild Goose bore the gospel of drinking local to Cambridge before falling victim to the first craft beer bubble. The next wave of high-gravity harbingers like Eastern Shore Brewing, Burley Oak and Evolution Craft Brewing fought to change collective palates and legislation allowing them to serve up their frosty pints. Beer bard and blogger Tony Russo taps into this full-bodied history while introducing the region's bold new batch of brewers.

More than a collection of vignettes and stories from garden, grill, and kitchen, The Culinary Plagiarist is a sustained adventure in gustatory delight, an intensely private but candid account of desire and all its objects. Opinionated on the full range of human experience, from fasting to inebriety, from sports to politics, from religion to raunch, it is at once serious, humorous, ironic, reflective, grateful, allusive, and appetitive. Along the way it offers a defense of small-scale, local life, of family, of place, and of ""the bread we do not live alone by."" And also the drinks. Don't forget the drinks. This is a book for people who enjoy being alive, whether in the kitchen, the pasture, the library, the barn, the trout stream, the henhouse (or the doghouse), or the bedroom.