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Beer Basics: A Quick and Easy Guide
Provides a guide to both domestic and imported brands of beers available in the United States
187 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1995
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August 6, 2012
On the basis of the contents of "Beer Basics," Peter La France seems to be a fount of knowledge on the chemical, historical, and practical aspects of brewing and enjoying beer. I read this book for a thorough understanding of the fundamentals and for a brief introduction to the varieties of styles and traditions that would take a lifetime to learn fully. The book fulfilled both of these requirements, yet La France's authority as an expert and his uniquely appropriate tone were mostly eroded by his tendency toward stream-of-consciousness organization and his unbecoming attitude at certain points.
The author's comprehensive knowledge of beer brewing, the primary value of this book, shows up most clearly in the first two chapters, "What Is Beer?" and "How Beer Is Made." These chapters, only nine pages long in total, present all the ingredients and equipment involved in brewing. The information is general enough for the average reader to take in easily but specific enough to have anticipated and answered any questions. The reader comes away knowing the three kinds of barley, the two major forms of yeast, the most common species of hops, the chemical and physical processes that affect them, and how they are all generally used. We have all the basic elements of the world of beer; the first purpose of reading the book has been fulfilled. The remainder concerns itself with the second purpose: the learning of all those styles.
Despite crystal-clear organization of chapters and section headings, especially useful for those who are looking to study a select few topics out of the book, La France has organized his writing by train of thought at too many points. The major disadvantages of this style are the way it disrupts a narrative and the fact that often only the writer himself can follow the logic. Although it is not a chosen style per se, "train of thought" or "stream of consciousness" organization is pervasive enough in this case to be considered part of the work's style. This is true on all levels, from chapters and section to sentences and single words.
The description of porter in the chapter "Styles of Beer" (Chapter 4) provides an anecdote with only four not-so-very-helpful words to describe the style: "dark, top-fermented beer" (pg. 48). More actual style information is engrained in the text about the Guinness porter under "Beers of Ireland" (pg. 100) and about the Anchor Porter under "Beers of the United States" (pg. 78). By the time La France is done, information on this style of beer, as one example, is actually scattered throughout descriptions of three specific brands in chapters in which we would expect to learn about national or regional tendencies. In other words, none of the chapters, after the first two, do exactly what they are supposed to do, and the information is not located where it should be, even though the book is meant to be, in part, a reference volume. ("This book is indexed and cross-indexed so that you have ready access to information rather than having to search through passages in which you have no particular interest at any particular moment" [pg. x].)
The section on "Beer-Clean Glasses" (pg. 124) covers pouring and serving in addition to what the title implies. If this section is meant to cover all of these areas, why not organize the sections and write the titles accordingly? If it is meant to cover glasses in general, what, then, is the purpose of the subsequent sections "Types of Glasses" (pg. 125) and "Glasses" (pg. 126)? Even single sentences have become corrupted by poor organization. Consider what La France might mean by, "The consumption of casks of 'cask-conditioned' ale was usually completed, by those who opened the cask, in the time it took them to drink the contents" (pg. 19). Had it been said, "Casks of al were usually drunk in one sitting," the meaning would have been absolutely clear, the sentence would have been three times shorter, and, most importantly, the reader would hot have been distracted. But that improved version is only a guess -- we don't know that that is what the author meant to say.
Stream-of-consciousness organization, understood by the speaker but not necessarily by anyone else, applies even to the use of an individual word -- lager. Having distinguished lager yeast (Saccharomyces uvarum), which ferments barley by converting maltose to alcohol on the bottom of a container, from ale, which works at the top (pg. 9), he goes on to define the German word "lager" ("to store") and contrast the kind of beer to which the word also refers with ale beer (pg. 24). Lager yeast, he says, evolved because they could survive storage in near-freezing caves in the Alps (pgs. 23-24). We then understand that lager is beer that has been fermented on the bottom by lager yeast, which impart certain flavors and more CO2 than do ale yeast, and that the word "lager" came from the way that lager beer was stored (as opposed to "aged" -- the low temperatures of the Alpine caves would seem to halt the chemical and physical processes of aging.) La France subsequently uses "lager" in such a way that it seems to mean neither "bottom-fermented" nor "stored" (pg. 30) and even describes bock beer, within the space of one sentence, as "strong ale," "bottom-fermenting," and "lagered," where he clearly meant "aged" instead of "stored" (pg. 40). He has obscured rather than clarified two meanings of the word, if not having created an additional one, and contradicted the fundamental distinction he provided among styles of beer between ale and lager yeast, comparable to the distinction of red and white wine (pg. 23).
The lack of any logical organization of information on porters, as an example, and the confusing use of the word "lager" combine in the introduction "to the fascinating world of lagers, ales, porters, and many other tasty brews" that La France offers in the "Preface" (pg. x). The disorganization of the book on every level unfortunately detracts from the author's expert credibility. Because he does not use even a key, topic-specific word correctly, we must assume that he does not necessarily know how to do so. Likewise, the disarray in which we find entire sections of the book lead us to wonder whether he is an expert or just knows how to sound like one.
La France writes with a tone that matches beer's role as "an essential accompaniment to good food, good friends, and good conversation" (pg. ix). It is declaratively simple in statements like, "Our ancestors developed the practice of agriculture and civilization was born" (pg. 15). When grammar is functioning, he preserves a kind of know-no-stranger informality by making point along the lines of "You might be surprised what happens" (pg. x). This is probably the only way knows how to talk; he is probably a good guy to get a beer with. The simplicity and friendliness of the tone works because he is constantly giving purpose to what he writes, unless a particular passage has been derailed by wild disorganization. A fine examples comes when he explains the need to find a good beer glass: "Drinking beer straight from the bottle is fine for camping trips, softball games, or other instances when the refreshment of a cold, wet beverage is the reason for drinking beer. To bring out all the nuances of a good beer, however, it should be served properly" (pg. 123).
Despite employing an effective tone, La France exacerbates his issues of organization by revealing a less-than-impartial attitude at times, threatening his authority on the basis of his motivation rather than that of his expertise. When he describes beer-tasting events by comparison with wine tastings, he writes, "Tasting beer uses all of your senses, and the sinus cavity is where some of the aromas resonate. The only way to incorporate the sinus cavities is to swallow the beer." This is the reason that we swallow beer instead of spitting it out, like wine, at tasting events (pg. 131). Either human anatomy changes depending on the beverage in a human's hand or the author has attempted to make beer appear somehow more sophisticated by untruthfully simplifying the practice of tasting wine. (We sniff the wine before tasting and sometimes plug our noses while tasting to engage the aromas detected by the sinus cavity. Wine tasters spit out wine only so as not to become irretrievably intoxicated.) The same attitude is apparent in a quotation of a famous New York chef claiming that beer brewing is harder, more demanding, than wine-making, thereby implying that beer is also more sophisticated (pgs. 139-140). Within the world of beer, La France writes with too much favor of San Francisco's Anchor Brewery, including it in "A Short History of Beer" (Chapter 3), choosing its Liberty Ale as the typical example of an India Pale Ale, its Old Foghorn as the explanatory example of barleywine, and its Our Special Ale as the example of herbed/spiced beer (Chapter 4, pgs. 35, 44, and 60). He even includes steam beer, of which Anchor's is apparently the only example, as its own style (pg. 59). Anchor also has two additional pages of coverage under "Beers of the United States" (pg. 77-78). Since the criteria for the inclusion of specific brands was "products that are in nationwide distribution in the United States" (pg. 3), of which there are many, and since Anchor gets praise even when it was entirely unnecessary to refer to a specific brewery, this amounts to special treatment. The unfairness we perceive calls into question the author's other judgments. Does La France have any connections to the Anchor Brewing Company? Or does he keep returning to it because he knows Anchor beer better than he knows beer in general?
If only we could trust the author's authority, "Beer Basics" would be an engaging introduction to the world of beer. The tone, the passion, and the wealth of information are all there. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to have been much revision by the author or editing by anyone else. Inaccuracies of language use in broad terms and narrow, along with the writer's sometimes problematic attitude, prevent the critical reader from becoming engrossed.
The author's comprehensive knowledge of beer brewing, the primary value of this book, shows up most clearly in the first two chapters, "What Is Beer?" and "How Beer Is Made." These chapters, only nine pages long in total, present all the ingredients and equipment involved in brewing. The information is general enough for the average reader to take in easily but specific enough to have anticipated and answered any questions. The reader comes away knowing the three kinds of barley, the two major forms of yeast, the most common species of hops, the chemical and physical processes that affect them, and how they are all generally used. We have all the basic elements of the world of beer; the first purpose of reading the book has been fulfilled. The remainder concerns itself with the second purpose: the learning of all those styles.
Despite crystal-clear organization of chapters and section headings, especially useful for those who are looking to study a select few topics out of the book, La France has organized his writing by train of thought at too many points. The major disadvantages of this style are the way it disrupts a narrative and the fact that often only the writer himself can follow the logic. Although it is not a chosen style per se, "train of thought" or "stream of consciousness" organization is pervasive enough in this case to be considered part of the work's style. This is true on all levels, from chapters and section to sentences and single words.
The description of porter in the chapter "Styles of Beer" (Chapter 4) provides an anecdote with only four not-so-very-helpful words to describe the style: "dark, top-fermented beer" (pg. 48). More actual style information is engrained in the text about the Guinness porter under "Beers of Ireland" (pg. 100) and about the Anchor Porter under "Beers of the United States" (pg. 78). By the time La France is done, information on this style of beer, as one example, is actually scattered throughout descriptions of three specific brands in chapters in which we would expect to learn about national or regional tendencies. In other words, none of the chapters, after the first two, do exactly what they are supposed to do, and the information is not located where it should be, even though the book is meant to be, in part, a reference volume. ("This book is indexed and cross-indexed so that you have ready access to information rather than having to search through passages in which you have no particular interest at any particular moment" [pg. x].)
The section on "Beer-Clean Glasses" (pg. 124) covers pouring and serving in addition to what the title implies. If this section is meant to cover all of these areas, why not organize the sections and write the titles accordingly? If it is meant to cover glasses in general, what, then, is the purpose of the subsequent sections "Types of Glasses" (pg. 125) and "Glasses" (pg. 126)? Even single sentences have become corrupted by poor organization. Consider what La France might mean by, "The consumption of casks of 'cask-conditioned' ale was usually completed, by those who opened the cask, in the time it took them to drink the contents" (pg. 19). Had it been said, "Casks of al were usually drunk in one sitting," the meaning would have been absolutely clear, the sentence would have been three times shorter, and, most importantly, the reader would hot have been distracted. But that improved version is only a guess -- we don't know that that is what the author meant to say.
Stream-of-consciousness organization, understood by the speaker but not necessarily by anyone else, applies even to the use of an individual word -- lager. Having distinguished lager yeast (Saccharomyces uvarum), which ferments barley by converting maltose to alcohol on the bottom of a container, from ale, which works at the top (pg. 9), he goes on to define the German word "lager" ("to store") and contrast the kind of beer to which the word also refers with ale beer (pg. 24). Lager yeast, he says, evolved because they could survive storage in near-freezing caves in the Alps (pgs. 23-24). We then understand that lager is beer that has been fermented on the bottom by lager yeast, which impart certain flavors and more CO2 than do ale yeast, and that the word "lager" came from the way that lager beer was stored (as opposed to "aged" -- the low temperatures of the Alpine caves would seem to halt the chemical and physical processes of aging.) La France subsequently uses "lager" in such a way that it seems to mean neither "bottom-fermented" nor "stored" (pg. 30) and even describes bock beer, within the space of one sentence, as "strong ale," "bottom-fermenting," and "lagered," where he clearly meant "aged" instead of "stored" (pg. 40). He has obscured rather than clarified two meanings of the word, if not having created an additional one, and contradicted the fundamental distinction he provided among styles of beer between ale and lager yeast, comparable to the distinction of red and white wine (pg. 23).
The lack of any logical organization of information on porters, as an example, and the confusing use of the word "lager" combine in the introduction "to the fascinating world of lagers, ales, porters, and many other tasty brews" that La France offers in the "Preface" (pg. x). The disorganization of the book on every level unfortunately detracts from the author's expert credibility. Because he does not use even a key, topic-specific word correctly, we must assume that he does not necessarily know how to do so. Likewise, the disarray in which we find entire sections of the book lead us to wonder whether he is an expert or just knows how to sound like one.
La France writes with a tone that matches beer's role as "an essential accompaniment to good food, good friends, and good conversation" (pg. ix). It is declaratively simple in statements like, "Our ancestors developed the practice of agriculture and civilization was born" (pg. 15). When grammar is functioning, he preserves a kind of know-no-stranger informality by making point along the lines of "You might be surprised what happens" (pg. x). This is probably the only way knows how to talk; he is probably a good guy to get a beer with. The simplicity and friendliness of the tone works because he is constantly giving purpose to what he writes, unless a particular passage has been derailed by wild disorganization. A fine examples comes when he explains the need to find a good beer glass: "Drinking beer straight from the bottle is fine for camping trips, softball games, or other instances when the refreshment of a cold, wet beverage is the reason for drinking beer. To bring out all the nuances of a good beer, however, it should be served properly" (pg. 123).
Despite employing an effective tone, La France exacerbates his issues of organization by revealing a less-than-impartial attitude at times, threatening his authority on the basis of his motivation rather than that of his expertise. When he describes beer-tasting events by comparison with wine tastings, he writes, "Tasting beer uses all of your senses, and the sinus cavity is where some of the aromas resonate. The only way to incorporate the sinus cavities is to swallow the beer." This is the reason that we swallow beer instead of spitting it out, like wine, at tasting events (pg. 131). Either human anatomy changes depending on the beverage in a human's hand or the author has attempted to make beer appear somehow more sophisticated by untruthfully simplifying the practice of tasting wine. (We sniff the wine before tasting and sometimes plug our noses while tasting to engage the aromas detected by the sinus cavity. Wine tasters spit out wine only so as not to become irretrievably intoxicated.) The same attitude is apparent in a quotation of a famous New York chef claiming that beer brewing is harder, more demanding, than wine-making, thereby implying that beer is also more sophisticated (pgs. 139-140). Within the world of beer, La France writes with too much favor of San Francisco's Anchor Brewery, including it in "A Short History of Beer" (Chapter 3), choosing its Liberty Ale as the typical example of an India Pale Ale, its Old Foghorn as the explanatory example of barleywine, and its Our Special Ale as the example of herbed/spiced beer (Chapter 4, pgs. 35, 44, and 60). He even includes steam beer, of which Anchor's is apparently the only example, as its own style (pg. 59). Anchor also has two additional pages of coverage under "Beers of the United States" (pg. 77-78). Since the criteria for the inclusion of specific brands was "products that are in nationwide distribution in the United States" (pg. 3), of which there are many, and since Anchor gets praise even when it was entirely unnecessary to refer to a specific brewery, this amounts to special treatment. The unfairness we perceive calls into question the author's other judgments. Does La France have any connections to the Anchor Brewing Company? Or does he keep returning to it because he knows Anchor beer better than he knows beer in general?
If only we could trust the author's authority, "Beer Basics" would be an engaging introduction to the world of beer. The tone, the passion, and the wealth of information are all there. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to have been much revision by the author or editing by anyone else. Inaccuracies of language use in broad terms and narrow, along with the writer's sometimes problematic attitude, prevent the critical reader from becoming engrossed.
September 11, 2011
A quick read with basic information about the history of beer, the steps in its production, and a summary of some of the main breweries around the world.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews