Short Course in Beer

An Introduction to Tasting and Talking About the World's Most Civilized Beverage

By: Lynn Hoffman

Narrated by: Adam Verner

Love beer. Sound smart. Drink well.

Straightforward and opinionated, Short Course in Beer is designed to turn the novice beer lover into an expert imbiber and the casual drinker into an enthusiast. Readers will come to understand the beauty of beer and the sources of its flavor, as well as learn which beers are worth our time and which are not. With tongue in cheek, the author examines beer's historical connections to the Crusades, the Hundred Years' War, and modern-day soccer riots. He talks frankly (and joyfully) about the effects of alcohol on the body and brain, he defends beer from its enemies, and ushers it out of the frat house and into the dining room. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter are designed to stimulate lively conversations, presumably over a glass of equally lively beer. At last a beer course for smarties!

©2009, 2012 Lynn Hoffman (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

An Ok Beer Book

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend "Tasting Beer" by Randy Mosher as worth spending the time to read over listening to "Short Course in Beer". Mosher's book is much more thorough yet very approachable.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

It is interesting because it is about beer, however, the writing sophomoric at times so not the most compelling treatment of this subject for that reason.

What does Adam Verner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Eloquence. He adds a compelling voice to a well paced reading.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

This is not a silver screen able book.

Any additional comments?

I find beer to be a fascinating subject and hobby and have read many books on the subject. Where I tend return to a stockpile of beer books for reference notes and details on particular points, unfortunately. This isn't one I'll likely return to. i'm glad I gave it a listen but I'm also glad that I've got other books to turn to.

Superb book, have sticky notes handy!

For those who are just getting fermented (*comedy drum*) into the beer world or a connoisseur looking for a refresher course, this book is perfect! The author is clearly well learned in all aspects of beer and the reader breaks down the book in a digestible pace.

I'd highly recommend having sticky notes or paper nearby you when you listen to this though. He drops a goldmine of information about beer and you might miss or forget some nuggets of knowledge.

I don't often relisten to audiobooks but I might with this one! Definitely get it!

Great from a beginner's perspective

I liked the story-telling aspect of this book rather than a "textbook-like" reading. As a beginner in the beer-serving industry, I learned a lot

Outstanding Primer

What insight do you think you’ll apply from Short Course in Beer?

After completing this book I will definitely try creating a home-brew, and have already begun applying the theories to my beer tasting and buying endeavors.

Beer Snobbery: 101

Where does Short Course in Beer rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Middle of the pack. This was an interesting, but enjoyable enough take on the whole craft beer thing. I am a beer snob. So I defintely got some good talking points. I aspire to take my beer snobbery to the next level so I will be going back to review my bookmarks.

Would you be willing to try another book from Lynn Hoffman? Why or why not?

Maybe? Depends on the topic and title, I guess.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Adam Verner?

Yes.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No big emotional swing. Just a sense of empowerment and validation. I love beer. I am a beer snob and that's okay. I don't have to be ashamed of that.

Any additional comments?

The part with the recipes is good to have but awful to listen to. Doubt I'll ever cook shellfish on a whim...but if I do...!!!!

Kinda hard to listen to

This book has a lot of good information and facts about beer, which is why I like it and bought it in the first place. The problem is, you have to sift and skip through a lot of opinion, preference, bias, and personal tastes of the author, who is self aware and admits that he is a snarky beer snob.
If beer snobs annoy you, you will hate this book. If you can look past it, there is a lot of good information and history here.
I particularly hated the; how to taste beer, and food pairing sections. That's all opinion and preference. There are even food recipes in it which felt very out of place in a book about beer.
Some of the book is repetitive. At points I thought my app messed up and I was listening to parts I had already read, but it was just the author rewriting what he already wrote. And he does add snarky comments throughout the entire book, even the good parts.
I like the voice acting. I like the factual parts in the book, and the history of beer details were very interesting.
I recommend reading this if you love beer, but with some serious reservations.