The Accidental Hedonist’s Guide to Beer

So you want to know about beer, do ya’? Listen up, ’cause I’ve been in the same boat as you. You go to the supermarket, and see the multitude of brands and varieties available. It’s borderline information overload.

So instead of trying something new and different, you end up buying what you know. For 80% of you out there, that means some derivation of either Millers, Coors, or Budweiser.

Let me tell ya’, you can do better. What constitutes a beer is far more than a light lager. There are beers out there that are as complex and as interesting as some wines. Do you like the rich taste of coffee? There’s a beer for you. Like the taste of fruit? There’s a beer for you. Do you like the taste of tartness? There’s a beer for you.

Brewing

• Adjuncts and Beer
• Beer and Hops
• Brewers Mash
• The Gravity of the Brewing Situation
• Off Flavors in Beer
• Skunky Beer
• That’s the Yeast of our Worries
• Types of Malt and Grain for Brewing
• Types of Hops

General Beer Information

• The Best of the Cheap Beer
• Beer in Context
• Climate change depresses beer drinkers
• How Big is Anheuser-Busch/InBev?
• Recommended Serving Temperatures for Beer
• Some interesting Beer Statistics
• What is Nitrogenization?

General Beer History

• Hymn to Ninkasi
• Lagers and Pilsners: A Brief History
• The Path from Food to Beer

Traditions

I have separated types of beers into regional categories as a means to help me understand the context in which they were created. Obviously this leaves out a fair amount of classic beers that have existed prior to the beers associated with these areas, as well beers that have developed outside of these regions.

• Belgian
• Bohemian
• British
• German
• North American
• Others

My Beer Philosophies

• Craft Brewers versus Industrial Brewers
• An Example of Beer Snobbery
• Guinness: The Gateway Beer
• How to increase your beer knowledge
• Pumpkin Beers are Serious Beer
• A Quick Thought
• The Stigma of Beer
• Why Industrial Brewing will never break fully into the Craft Brewing Market

My Beer Experiences

• A brief note from the Volksfest
• Home Brewing
• Literally Beer Judging
• The Trappist Beer Dinner: A Pictorial Essay
• Beer: My life in Pictures (Flickr)

Usual Disclaimer: This is a work in progress, and will likely always be a work in progress. So if there’s something missing here, I probably have some plans to address that at some point in the future.

Additionally, I am human, which means I make mistakes. If you see something wrong, I would love it if you pointed me in the right direction. Feel free to e-mail me at Kate AT accidentalhedonist DOT com with any tips, hints, or advice you may have.

Rude and insulting e-mails will be deleted without a second thought.