Pilsners, blonde ales, India pale ales, lagers, porters, stouts: the varieties and styles of beer are endless. But as diverse as the drink is, its appeal is universal - beer is the most-consumed alcoholic beverage in the world. From pubs and inns to restaurants, bars and microbreweries, beer has made itself a staple drink around the globe. Celebrating the heritage of the world's favourite tipple, Gavin D. Smith traces beer from its earliest days to its contemporary consumption. After exploring the evolution of brewing technology, the book travels from Mexico to Milwaukee, Beijing, Bruges and beyond, demonstrating the dazzling variety of beer styles and brewing processes to be found around the world. Once brewed in monasteries to be consumed as 'liquid bread' on fast days, beer is now the drink of choice at festivals and celebrations worldwide. Containing a wealth of detail in its concise, wonderfully illustrated pages, Beer will appeal to connoisseurs and casual fans alike.

Whisky is the world's favourite spirit and is enjoying booming sales, yet too often it's shrouded in mystery, myth and complex-sounding terminology.

This authoritative book, written by three world experts, gives simple advice on how to seek out and enjoy the immense diversity of flavours and styles on offer, and how to become more adventurous.

As with any subject, the more you know, the more you can appreciate and enjoy it. This book aims to equip you with enough knowledge to be able to find your way around the whisky sections of a specialist drinks retailer and to help you feel confident choosing whisky in a bar or restaurant.

We aim to demystify whisky without taking away the magic. The history of whisky and production methods are clearly explained, and there is advice on how to nose, taste and savour, as well as a selection of classic whisky cocktails and advice on matching food and whisky.

The book covers not just famous Highland malts, Irish pot still whiskeys and American bourbons, but also whiskies from Japan, Canada, Australia and India.