One of the most successful and respected homebrewers in America and highest ranking judges in the BJCP, there are few candidates better placed than Gordon Strong to give advice on how to take your homebrew to the next level. In Brewing Better Beer, the author sets out his own philosophy and strategy for brewing, examining the tools and techniques available in an even-handed manner. The result is a well-balanced mix of technical, practical, and creative advice aimed at experienced homebrewers who want to advance to the next level. The book is also a story of personal development and repeatedly mastering new systems and processes. Strong emphasizes that brewing is a creative endeavor underpinned by a firm grasp on technical essentials, but stresses that there are many ways to brew good beer. After mastering techniques, equipment, ingredients, recipe formulation, and the ability to evaluate their own beers, the advanced homebrewer will know how to think smart and work less, adjust only what is necessary, and brew with economy of effort. The author also pays special attention to brewing for competitions and other special occasions, distilling his own experiences of failure and (frequent) triumphs into a concise, pragmatic, and relaxed account of how judging works and how to increase your chances of success. The author's insights are laid out in a clear, engaging manner, deftly weaving discussions of technical matters with his own guiding principles to brewing. Learn to identify process control points in mashing, lautering, sparging, boiling, chilling, fermenting, conditioning, clarifying, and packaging. What are the best ways to control mash pH, which mash regimen suits your process, how can you effectively control your process through judicious equipment selection? Other tips on optimizing your brewing include ingredient and yeast selection, envisioning a recipe and bringing it to fruition, planning your brewing calendar, and identifying the critical path to ensure a successful brew day. There is also a detailed discussion of troubleshooting to address technical and stylistic problems advanced homebrewers often face. Through it all, Strong highlights you are the ultimate arbiter, giving advice on how to judge your own beers and understanding how balance takes many forms depending on style.

A nostalgic cocktail gift book with recipes for recreating adult versions of your favorite '90s childhood drinks from Yoo-hoo to Hi-C to Ssips Iced Tea. '90s nostalgia in a glass! Grown-Up Drinks is a tongue in cheek cocktail book for the former '90s kid and those just discovering how cool old-school Nickelodeon and Delia*s once were. With recipes for alcoholic versions of childhood favorites like Ecto-Cooler and Mondo as well as creative pop-culture inspired originals like the Rum and Stimpy and Semi-Warmed Kind of Cider, this is a clever concept that's fully on trend. A perfectly giftable mix of humor, nostalgia, and tasty recipes.

The marines on the First Fleet refused to sail without it. Convicts risked their necks to get hold of it. Rum built a hospital and sparked a revolution, made fortunes and ruined lives. In a society with few luxuries, liquor was power. It played a crucial role, not just in the lives of individuals like James Squire - the London chicken thief who became Australia's first brewer - but in the transformation of a starving penal outpost into a prosperous trading port. Drawing on a wealth of contemporary sources, Grog offers an intoxicating look at the first decades of European settlement and explores the origins of Australia's fraught love affair with the hard stuff.

Here's the inside scoop on the wine world. Globalization has pushed back the borders of the wine world, creating a complex, interconnected market where Old World and New World wines and producers compete head to head. Writing with wit and verve, Mike Veseth (a.k.a. the Wine Economist) tells the compelling story of the war between the market forces that are redrawing the world wine map and the terroirists who resist them. This is the battle for the future of wine--and for its soul. The fight isn't just over bottles bought and sold, however; power and taste are also at stake. Who will call the shots in the wine market of the future? Who will set the price? Whose palate will prevail? Veseth masterfully brings all of these questions together in the only book on the wine business written for all lovers of wine. Wine Wars II begins by exploring wine globalization, where readers follow "Missionaries, Migrants, and Market Reforms" to faraway New Zealand and learn how to unlock the secrets of their local retail "Wine Wall" by mastering the "DaVino Code." Globalization brings a world of wine to our doorsteps. Commodification helps us make sense of the resulting embarrassment of riches, but at a cost. Readers must decide if they are Martians or Wagnerians, consider why "They Always Buy the Ten Cent Wine," and then probe the puzzle of "Outlaws, Prisoners, and the Great Escape." Who stands in the way of the global wine market's assault on wine's very soul? The"Revenge of the Terroirists!" Resistance is not futile, because 'We Are All Terroirists Now," but that doesn't mean the future of wine is secure. A final section explores "Wine's Triple Crisis," environmental crisis plus economic crisis, plus identity crisis. Taken together these crises pose the most serious threat to wine as we know and love it. Each section of Wine Wars II ends with a suggested wine tasting that invites readers to experience the book's ideas and arguments with all their senses by sampling a few carefully chosen wines. Can the soul of wine survive - and thrive - in this unfriendly environment? You'll have to read Wine Wars II to find out!

"How to brew, ferment and enjoy world-class beers at home."

Making beer at home is as easy as making soup George Hummel smoothly guides the reader through the process of creating a base to which the homebrewer can apply a myriad of intriguing flavorings, such as fruits, spices and even smoke. There are also outstanding and easy recipes for delicious meads, tasty ciders and great sodas -- all of which can be made in a home kitchen and with minimal equipment.

Using Hummel's easy-to-follow instructions and thorough analysis of the flavor components of beer, a novice homebrewer can design recipes and make beers to suit any taste or craving. Knowing exactly what's in a beer has additional benefits -- homebrewers can easily avoid the chemical additives traditionally found in mass-produced commercial beers. As an added bonus, the recipes are categorized according to their degree of difficulty, so new brewers can find the recipes that match their comfort level and then easily progress onto new skills.

These 200 tantalizing beer recipes draw their inspiration from the Americas and around the world. They include: Irish amber American/Texas brown California blonde Bavarian hefeweizen Multi-grain stout Imperial pilsner Pre-Prohibition lager Golden ale Scottish 60 shilling Belgium dubble German bock Raspberry weizen Vanilla cream stout Flemish red & brown Standard dry sparkling mead

There is also a comprehensive glossary that virtually guarantees readers will find answers to every question about ingredients and equipment. Packed with practical advice and effectively designed, "The Complete Homebrew Beer Book" is like having a personal brewmaster overseeing and guiding each creation.

This title presents instructions for making hundreds of cocktails and drinks, including all-time favourites such as the Dry Martini and Grasshopper, and more unusual drinks such as the Blue Hawaiian and Passion Punch. It includes a guide to the types of drinks and mixers available, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. A techniques section explains how to measure, mix and pour drinks, with step-by-step photographs showing how to frost a glass, use a cocktail shaker and make decorative fruit twists. With a useful guide to terminology to help you tell the difference between a chaser and an aperitif, a fizz and a frappe, and many more. This title includes alcohol and nutritional breakdowns so you can plan your drinking. It features gorgeous colour photography throughout. This beautiful volume is an essential reference for every home bartender, covering a vast array of cocktails and drinks. There are instructions for making both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, accompanied by glorious colour photographs. All the cocktail favourites are featured, as well as some more unusual drinks to try. At the back of the book is a guide to the different types of alcohol and mixers available, including spirits, liqueurs, fortified wines, beer and wine. There is also a fascinating history of alcohol, plus a useful guide to bartending equipment, glasses, garnishes and tricks of the trade. Practical advice is given on how to prepare a party, together with information about alcohol and health, including tips for safe drinking and avoiding hangovers.