Subjective ramblings about beer, pubs and associated topics

Book review: Three Sheets to the Wind

Pete Brown, who entered the world of beer writing with the book Man Walks Into a Pub, has now widened his scope to beer on a global scale. His new book, Three Sheets to the Wind, offers observation on drinking culture in Bavaria, the Czech Republic, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Australia, Japan, China and the US. And back to Barnsley, England.

Puh.

 And he manages to do this without being a trainspotter like some of us tend to be. Pete Brown loves to tell stories, and he is not a beer snob. He enjoys the small glasses of lager served with tapas in Madrid and enjoys both a glass of Stella and a bottle of the more obscure Trappist beers. He does his research properly, which means that he has interesting drinking buddies in the places he visits, and he is not afraid to lean on their insights..

While this book chronicles his travels, it is not a guide book, but more for planning and armchair reading. But most of all it is well written. Parts are really funny. I was sitting on a bus reading parts of it, and found myself laughing out loud.

This is clearly not the place to find a traditional Irish welcome. Eventually some women arrive to watch Eastenders. That makes the atmosphere a little less chilly, but also underscores that I am not part of it. No one invites me to their sister’s wedding. No one tries to tell me their life story. In fact no one speaks a word to me. And, really, why should they? I’ve been reading too many whimsical accounts of journeys through Ireland. That way of life may or may not exist, but I’m not going to find it in a Dublin suburb.

But the book contains some more serious analysis, too. There are some wonderful takes on the American macros, particularly Anheuser-Busch. And there are some words of advice for CAMRA, too:

If there’s one thing I’ve learned researching this book, it’s that drinking beer is supposed to be about having a laugh. Until CAMRA can convince ordinary drinkers that crafted, flavourful beer – whether real ale or the original blonde lager – is about enjoyment as well as appreciation, about socializing more than campaigning, Britain will struggle to accept quality beers.

You may not agree with all his views (although I tend to!), but this book is recommended to anyone interested in beer and interested in a good read.

In case you've already forgotten, we did an interview with Pete Brown last week. Have a look at A Good Beer Blog.

Posted by: KnutAlbert at 07:13 | link | comments
australia, beer, england, german, spain, denmark, ireland, usa, belgium, czech republic

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