Book Review: The Naked Pint

Another not brewing specific post. . .but much more on topic than lamenting a chimp's demise.  We try to keep up on our education outside of actual brewing experience.

Received this book as a holiday gift and found it remarkable enough to jot down some notes.

First, the authors are the proprietors of the Beer For Chicks website.  Their respective CV's are listed there, but in short these ladies are forging a new path for professional careers based around expert knowledge of all things beer.

Second, the intended audience.  While enjoyable to beer geeks,  this is really well suited for the person who is 'not a beer' person in terms of completely re-setting people's perception of what beer is/can be.  It is even better for the person that is interested in craft beer and wants a path to educated enlightenment.  The science is kept to a completely layman level and only serves to provide the correct context as to what is going on before the bottle/draft is in your hand.


Third, the book.  The book is a journey from beer basics progressing to beer "expertdom".  It begins with the overall approach to beer (I particularly love the demonstrative point made that beer color has nothing to do with its strength) all the way to eventually hosting beer dinners and brewing on your own.

Impressions.  The writing style is pitch perfect for capturing the conviviality and lack of pretentiousness inherent to beer.  At the same time, it is written with a degree of well measured statements that get the expert point across gently and with a dose of self-deprecating humor.  For someone new to beer, this is an incredibly approachable book and a good read.  For me, it was more like reading a summary of my own progression in learning and enjoying craft beer.  The arch reminds me of tasting a sour several years ago and hating it to trying very hard to brew them myself.  The selections chosen at the end of each sub-section are fun as well and well spotted.  Inclusions of items like Telegraph's "Reserve Wheat" and the Bruery's "Saison Rue" show just how up-to-date this publication is (not to mention these are both personal favorites of mine) that I've reviewed for Plumpjack in 2009. 

In general, I'd recommend this less to the geeks (but there is ALWAYS something to take away from others' perspectives) and definitely to the newer people interested in having a very comprehensive and well-thought through path to follow.  Their breadth of knowledge and manner of delivering it are very well done.  It's the sort of book you need to have on hand when you watch the deer-in-headlights noob at Toronado ask "What do you have that's like an amber?".  That was all of us at one point, this book will prevent this from ever happening to you.