BEER BY DESIGN
Subtitled The Art of Good Beer Branding, Pete Brown’s latest book takes a new look at the artwork, design and labelling of beer. The choice on the bar of any decent pub, or the shelves of a good bottle shop, can be overwhelming. The design of a pump clip, bottle or can needs to be noticed and suggest to the discerning customer that here is a beer they will enjoy. With an expert’s eye on how beer companies big and small have tapped into the consumer psyche, this is an illustrated guide to the quirky, risky and familiar brands that have captivated us over the years. The book also covers the history of beer design, labelling and packaging from the passing of the Trademark Registration Act in 1875 and Bass registering the first trademark, to the present day. Pete is currently the chair of the British Guild of Beer Writers. The book was due to be published on 20 November. It is available on-line from the CAMRA shop at £15.99 plus postage. It is in paperback format (224 pages). ISBN-13978-1-85249-368-4.
MODERN BRITISH CIDER
Written by Gabe Cook, dubbed the Ciderologist, this book takes a look at the long heritage of cider in the UK and celebrates both its diversity and innovation. It also examines the challenges it faces in today’s market. The author comments, “There has never been a better time than now for a book of this nature. Cider and perry have a long a rich tradition across rural UK and it’s time to highlight its modern evolution.” The book will include a description of the processes involved in making cider and how a huge diversity of styles is made possible by using different apple varieties, processes and yeast selection. There will also be advice on how to run a cider festival as well as some ideas for running cider competitions.
Publication will not be until next year but it will be possible to pre-order the book in due course. Modern British Cider will have approximately 256 pages and will be 27 X 17 cm in size.
CAMRA Books is CAMRA’s publishing arm and has a strong reputation for producing specialist books about beer, pubs and brewing, as well as various heritage and walking guides and, of course, the Good Beer Guide. In a new initiative intended to secure the production of such publications at a difficult time, CAMRA Books used crowdfunding to finance the production of Modern British Cider. The offer, made through Kickstarter, ended in early November and, happily, was a success.
When the crowdfunding was launched, CAMRA Books explained, “This is a unique opportunity for CAMRA books to gauge interest prior to a book’s publication which can, in turn, allow us to offer a far wider selection of books in the future and potentially increase our publishing portfolio. It’s a low-risk option for readers as well; if the project goes ahead they get some great perks included in the price of the title, and if for any reason we are unable to fund the project, all pre-orders will be returned to the investors.”
UNUSUAL PUBS, AMAZING STORIES
If they could talk, what stories would pubs tell about themselves? This is the question that Bob Barton, a CAMRA member from West Middlesex, sets out to answer in his latest book. This is a pub guide with a difference. It features 120 hostelries in all parts of Britain which are worth a visit. There is an eclectic variety of tales, ranging from John Lennon’s student local to an inn where Henry VIII courted, one where Navy press gangs were outsmarted to another where a Russian czar breakfasted on quarts of brandy. Full information on the pubs is provided, including contact details, nearby attractions and examples of ales sampled.
As the author says, researching this book provided him with “…the perfect excuse to travel around the country drinking real ale in remarkable establishments.” The result
is, in many ways, a love letter to the British boozer. Bob adds, “I love them as if they were something alive: capricious, protective, humorous, and surprising. Let’s use and savour them or risk losing them.” There are 22 pages on London pubs, ranging from the Olde Mitre in Barnet to the Town of Ramsgate in Wapping and including one of the quirkier entries, the annual Jack-in-the-Green parade from the Dog & Bell in Deptford. Bob also reminisces about his early pub going in (now vanished) hostelries such as the Blue Posts in Tottenham Court Road. The book would be an ideal Christmas present for any pub enthusiast and could be the inspiration for a few expeditions, once we are allowed back into pubs.
The book has 144 pages (hardback) and is fully illustrated with many of the author’s own photos. It is published by Halsgrove at £16.99 and is available from Waterstones and other good booksellers.
ISBN 978 0 85704 347 4
DON’T FORGET…
The Good Beer Guide 2021 was published on 29 October and is available here.
The GBG ‘app’ is also available on both iOS and Android devices. It covers all of the pubs listed in the printed edition.