Possibly the world's most famous beer writer, British author Michael Jackson has made an enviable living surveying the lure and the lore of this most democratic of beverages. His classic coffee-table textbooks, The New World Guide to Beer and Michael Jackson's Beer Companion, offer highly regarded overviews of the world's styles, traditions, and techniques. Along with a television documentary series, numerous articles in trade publications, and extensive touring, Jackson's guides have established the other Michael Jackson as one of the great promoters of great beer. With Ultimate Beer, Jackson homes in on the particulars: which beer, when, and why. After a concise overview of brewing ingredients and processes, Jackson explores a myriad of beers from every corner of the brewing world. His suggestions are organized by the situation in which they might best be enjoyed: from summer sippers to winter warmers, aperitifs to nightcaps. Enticing photography of each beer and its packaging accompanies Jackson's tasting notes, brief technical info, and product-specific tidbits. Then, Jackson indulges further with chapters on matching particular beers to particular dishes, and follows that up with a brief guide to cooking with beer.
The guiding principle of Jackson's writing--that which he shares with any beer enthusiast--is that beer, like wine, is best enjoyed when served at the right time, in the right conditions, and with the right dish. This book is Michael Jackson's very personal attempt to point the way to enjoying that Ultimate Beer. --Todd Gehman