Beer is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grains—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The fermentation of the starch sugars in the wort produces ethanol and carbonation in the beer.Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in the world. Most modern beer is brewed with hops, which add bitterness and other flavours and act as a natural preservative and stabilising agent. Other flavouring agents, such as gruit, herbs, or fruits, may be included or used instead of hops. In commercial brewing, natural carbonation is often replaced with forced carbonation.Some of the earliest writings refer to the production and distribution of beer: the Code of Hammurabi included laws regulating it,and "The Hymn to Ninkasi", a prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, a recipe for it.Beer is distributed in bottles and cans and is also commonly available on draught, particularly in pubs and bars. The brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies and many thousands of smaller producers ranging from brewpubs to regional breweries. The strength of modern beer is usually around 4% to 6% alcohol by volume (ABV).In 1516, William IV, Duke of Bavaria, adopted the Reinheitsgebot (purity law), perhaps the oldest food-quality regulation still in use in the 21st century, according to which the only allowed ingredients of beer are water, hops, and barley-malt.By the 7th century AD, beer was also being produced and sold by European monasteries. During the Industrial Revolution, the production of beer moved from artisanal manufacture to industrial manufacture.Beer is considered to be a social lubricant in many societies and is consumed in countries all over the world.Various social traditions and activities are associated with beer drinking, such as playing cards, darts, beer pong; attending beer festivals; engaging in zythology (the study of beer); pub crawls; visiting breweries; or rating beer.A relatively new profession is that of the beer sommelier, who informs restaurant patrons about beers and food pairings.

As someone who has said they would study for the Cicerone test for years, and on a more basic level just loves beer, this book was fantastic. Around the World in 80 Beers offers snippets about how different styles of beer came into existence. This is great not only for those already knowledgeable in beer types and history but also for someone new. I appreciated that each beer had enough information to be interesting and informative but not too much to be overwhelming. I also loved the pictures that were included, such as old beer posters or advertisements. I highly recommend this!

Around the World in 80 Beers by Martyn Cornell was obtained directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. As a beer enthusiast, I loved this book. It was a quick read, just because I found it interesting and never boring. It goes into detail, but overlong detail, about 80 beers from around the world and covers the history of the beer, with some no longer in production. With the holiday season fast approaching, any beer lover who reads would love to have this book.

5 Stars

I expected this book to be a bit more narrative, however it's more like a reference book. But each entry is very informative and interesting to read and it would be a good book to have on hand if you're looking to try interesting local beers during your travels.

A nice book about 80 beers and their history. The beers are of different styles and come from many different countries. It's nice to learn about how different beers came to be, the myths and legends behind them. There is a lot of historical knowledge and other interesting facts about the beers and the regions the beers come from. A great read for beer enthusiasts.

What a fabulous compendium of beers across the globe, with their compelling history and the array of beers now available. A fun read!