- CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide Belgium launches 27 March 2014
- The Beer Select-O-Pedia launches 3 April 2014
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is proud to celebrate international brewing with the publication of not one but two books all about beers from beyond our shores.
CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide Belgium (27 March 2014, RRP £14.99) is a comprehensive guide book for any visitor to the original home of craft beer. Now in its 7th edition, the book has been exhaustively updated by Tim Webb (co-author World Atlas of Beer & The Pocket Beer Book) and Joe Stange (co-author Around Brussels in 80 Beers) to reflect the growth in the Belgian beer market that has taken place in the five years since the previous editions publication. Author, Tim Webb, sees Belgian influence reaching far beyond the country’s shores, he said:
“With an increasing audience for handcrafted, de-industrialised and non-corporate beers, Belgian brewing’s distinctive blend of tradition, invention and quality will continue to fuel a growing demand for complex and interesting beers far beyond its borders. This book gives people all the advice they need to get out there and explore what’s on offer. There’s a great chance and challenge for brewers everywhere to get inspired and get creative as a result.”
Split into two distinct sections, the book first takes an in depth look at over 900 beers produced by the country’s diverse array of brewers – from global giants to equipment sharing proto-brewers. Each brewer is presented with full contact details and given a rating out of 5 for quality, while each beer is also given a star rating out of 5.
Then, having acquainted the reader with what to drink, the guide turns to the tricky question of where to drink it. Over 500 bars, cafés, bistros and beer shops are hand-picked by Tim and Joe from the ultra modern to the incomparably traditional. Organised into regional listings, each bar entry includes full address information, details of size & range of the venues beer list and key dos and don’ts for visitors.
CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide Belgium is out on Thursday, 27 March 2014 (RPP £14.99) and is available from CAMRA at www.camra.org.uk/shop and all other good bookshops.
CAMRA follows up a week later with the publication of The Beer Select-O-Pedia (3 April 2014, RRP £12.99). Written by Michael Larson, co-founder of beer review website The Perfectly Happy Man (www.theperfectlyhappyman.com)
“This book is excellent for anyone interested in the vast, rich and fascinating world of beers – not just the UK’s real ales but also those brewed around the globe. The best part is you can discover and enjoy at your own pace – no matter how much you already know about beer – whether you are dipping your toe in for the first time or diving straight in at the deep end.”
All the styles are presented alongside full-colour illustrations with an ‘Atomic Structure’ diagram featuring key facts about a style’s ingredients, famous producers, food matches and titbits of trivia. While a small selection of sample beers are supplied for each style to get the reader started the book encourages readers to search out, experience and enjoy these styles for themselves.
The Beer Select-O-Pedia is out on Thursday, 3 April (RRP £12.99) and is available from CAMRA atwww.camra.org.uk/shop and all other good bookshops.
COPY ENDS
Notes to Editors
Review and competition copies are available on request from CAMRA.
Please contact Chris Lewis (chris.lewis@camra.org.uk) to request a review copy.
Sample interiors from both books are available on request.
A list of the most interesting Belgian brewers, selected by Tim Webb & Joe Stange, is available on request.
A list of the most interesting Belgian bars & cafés, selected by Tim Webb & Joe Stange, is available on request.
For further information contact the CAMRA Press Office on 01727 798 443
Or email Press Manager Neil Walker at neil.walker@camra.org.uk