Herman Ronnenberg, a historical archaeologist and brewery expert who participates in major brewery clubs and publishes regularly on the topic, offers something for everyone from scholars to casual beer aficionados. He traces the evolution of techniques, equipment, raw materials, and architecture over five centuries, discusses informal production outside of breweries, and offers detailed information on makers marks, patents, labels, and beer containers that allows readers to identify items in their own collections.

Contains essays on food and material culture presented at the 2013 Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery.

Publisher description

Beer culture has grown exponentially in the United States, from the days of Prohibition to the signing of HR 1337 by then-President Jimmy Carter, which legalized homebrewing for personal and household use, to the potential hop shortage that all brewers are facing today. This expansion of the culture, both socially and commercially, has created a linguistic and cultural turn that is just now starting to be fully recognized. The contributors of Beer Culture in Theory and Practice: Understanding Craft Beer Culture in the United States examine varying facets of beer culture in the United States, from becoming a home brewer, to connecting it to the community, to what a beer brand means, to the social realities and shortcomings that exist within the beer and brewing communities. The book aims to move beer away from the cooler and taproom, and into the dynamic conversation of Popular and American cultural studies that is happening right now, both within and outside of the classroom.

Researching Craft Beer offers insights for aspiring and present owners of breweries, those looking to open a craft beer bar as well as other beer researchers. The volume offers a prescient assessment of historic, present, and likely future developments within the sector.

Lithuania has one of the most interesting beer cultures on earth, but it's a beer culture that is almost wholly unknown outside the country itself. This guide explains what is so special about Lithuanian beer and helps you choose the right places to go and the right beers to drink. I've travelled to Lithuania a number of times over the last four years to learn as much as I can about Lithuanian beer, and this book summarizes what I've learned. It describes the various styles of beer made in Lithuania, the main breweries, and where to find the beers. It also gives some cultural, linguistic, and historic background.

Beer and Brewing in Medieval Culture and Contemporary Medievalism is a cross-cultural analysis of the role that alcohol consumption played in literature, social and cultural history, and gender roles in the Middle Ages. The volume also seeks to correct or offer new insights into historical beer production. By drawing on the expertise of scholars of history, archaeology, Old and Middle English, Old Norse, and Medieval and Early Modern literature, the book shows how historical medieval beer and brewing has influenced nostalgic post-medieval nationalism and romanticized visions of the medieval ale-house seen in beer marketing today. The essays describe alcohol consumption in the Middle Ages across much of Northern Europe, engage with the various myths employed in modern craft beer advertising and beer production, and examine how gender intersects with beer production and consumption. The editors also raise certain critical questions about medievalisms which need to be interrogated, particularly in light of the continued use of the Middle Ages for white supremacist and colonialist ideals. The volume contributes to the study of the popular and historical understandings of the Middle Ages as well the issues of race and gender.