Miracle Brew : Hops, Barley, Water, Yeast and the Nature of Beer

"In lively and witty fashion, celebrated British beer writer Pete Brown presents a complete natural history of beer and shares the incredible story behind each of its four ingredients- malted barley, hops, yeast, and water. Miracle Brew explores the origins of fermentation, the lost age of hallucinogenic gruit beers, and the evolution of modern hop varieties that now challenge wine grapes in the extent to which they are discussed and revered."--Book cover.Most people know that wine is created by fermenting pressed grape juice and cider by pressing apples. But although it’s the most popular alcoholic drink on the planet, few people know what beer is made of. In lively and witty fashion, Miracle Brew dives into traditional beer’s four natural ingredients: malted barley, hops, yeast, and water, each of which has an incredible story to tell.From the Lambic breweries of Belgium, where beer is fermented with wild yeasts drawn down from the air around the brewery, to the aquifers below Burton-on-Trent, where the brewing water is rumored to contain life-giving qualities, Miracle Brew tells the full story behind the amazing role each of these fantastic four―a grass, a weed, a fungus, and water―has to play. Celebrated U.K. beer writer Pete Brown travels from the surreal madness of drink-sodden hop-blessings in the Czech Republic to Bamberg in the heart of Bavaria, where malt smoked over an open flame creates beer that tastes like liquid bacon. He explores the origins of fermentation, the lost age of hallucinogenic gruit beers, and the evolution of modern hop varieties that now challenge wine grapes in the extent to which they are discussed and revered.Along the way, readers will meet and drink with a cast of characters who reveal the magic of beer and celebrate the joy of drinking it. And almost without noticing we’ll learn the naked truth about the world’s greatest beverage. \*\*\*The Guardian’s\*\*\* \*\*"Best Books on Drink” Pick\*\* Most people know that wine is created by fermenting pressed grape juice and cider by pressing apples. But although it’s the most popular alcoholic drink on the planet, few people know what beer is made of. In lively and witty fashion, \*Miracle Brew\* dives into traditional beer’s four natural ingredients: malted barley, hops, yeast, and water, each of which has an incredible story to tell. From the Lambic breweries of Belgium, where beer is fermented with wild yeasts drawn down from the air around the brewery, to the aquifers below Burton-on-Trent, where the brewing water is rumored to contain life-giving qualities, \*Miracle Brew\* tells the full story behind the amazing role each of these fantastic four―a grass, a weed, a fungus, and water―has to play. Celebrated U.K. beer writer Pete Brown travels from the surreal madness of drink-sodden hop-blessings in the Czech Republic to Bamberg in the heart of Bavaria, where malt smoked over an open flame creates beer that tastes like liquid bacon. He explores the origins of fermentation, the lost age of hallucinogenic \*gruit\* beers, and the evolution of modern hop varieties that now challenge wine grapes in the extent to which they are discussed and revered. Along the way, readers will meet and drink with a cast of characters who reveal the magic of beer and celebrate the joy of drinking it. And almost without noticing we’ll learn the naked truth about the world’s greatest beverage. \*\* The nature of beer -- Barley -- Water -- Hops -- Yeast -- Reinheitsgebot.;Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink on the planet, but few who enjoy it know much about how its four ingredients - malted barley, hops, yeast and water - miraculously combine. We've been brewing and drinking beer for thousands of years, without understanding how or why the brewing process works. In the Middle Ages, yeast was called 'godisgoode' because no one had any idea what fermentation was. Malting barley, too, has for centuries seemed genuinely wondrous: it's only in the last 200 years that science has identified and understood how man and yeast work together to gently (or not so gently) persuade this humble grain to give up its sugary stash for fermentation into beer. From the birth of brewing (and civilization) in the Middle East, through an exploration of water's unmurky depths and the surreal madness of drink-sodden hop-blessings in the Czech Republic, to the stunning recreation of the first ever modern beer - Miracle Brew is an extraordinary journey through the nature and science of brewing. Along the way, we'll meet and drink with a cast of characters who reveal the magic of beer and celebrate the joy of drinking it. And, almost without noticing, we'll learn the naked truth about the world's greatest beverage. Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink on the planet, but very few people have any idea what it is made of: malted barley, hops, yeast and water - four natural ingredients, each with an incredible story to tell. Miracle Brew tells the full story of the integral role that each of these fantastic four ingredients has to play. Pete Brown takes us from the Lambic breweries of Belgium, where beer is fermented with wild yeasts drawn down from the air around the brewery, to the aquifers below Burton upon Trent, where the brewing water is rumoured to contain life-giving qualities; he takes us from the surreal madness of drink-sodden hop-blessings in the Czech Republic to Bamberg in the heart of Bavaria, where malt smoked over an open flame creates beer that tastes like liquid bacon. This book explores the origins of fermentation, the lost age of hallucinogenic gruit beers and the evolution of modern hop varieties that now challenge wine grapes in the extent to which they are discussed and revered. Along the way, we'll meet and drink with a cast of characters who reveal the magic of beer and celebrate the joy of drinking it. And, almost without noticing, we'll learn the naked truth about the world's greatest beverage Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink on the planet, but few who enjoy it know much about how its four ingredients – hops, malted barley, water and yeast – miraculously combine. From the birth of brewing in the Middle East, through the surreal madness of drink-sodden hop-blessings in the Czech Republic and the stunning recreation of the first ever modern beer, Miracle Brew is an extraordinary journey through the nature and science of the world's greatest beverage. Along the way, we'll meet and drink with a cast of characters who reveal the magic of beer and celebrate the joy of drinking it. The Nature Of Beer -- Barley -- Water -- Hops -- Yeast -- Reinheitsgebot. Pete Brown. Originally Published In The United Kingdom By Unbound In 2017.--title Page Verso. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.