From Powells.com
Staff Pick
Portland journalist and beer enthusiast Lucy Burningham combines these two passions and takes us on a journey with her, enveloping us in her infectious curiosity. She explores hop farms, attends beer festivals, and sits in on a Widmer Brothers tasting panel, among other adventures. It is her willingness to toss aside her assumptions and approach the world of beer so openly through new eyes that makes this particular beer memoir a must-read. Recommended By Aubrey W., Powells.com
If you've ever wondered more about what's in your glass — you're not alone! Follow journalist and beer writer Lucy Burningham's thirst for beer knowledge to become Cicerone certified. Burningham is utterly honest and funny about unmasking the romanticism of her drink of choice — and yet your taste buds are more tantalized than when you started. Pro tip: Burningham has included tasting, evaluation, and resource guides to help you learn your American amber ale from your Zwickelbier. Prost! Recommended By Kate L., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
As a journalist spurred by curiosity and thirst, Lucy Burningham made it her career to write about craft beer, traveling to hop farms, attending rare beer tasting parties, and visiting as many taprooms, breweries, and festivals as possible. With this as her introduction, Lucy decided to take her relationship with beer to the next level: to become a certified beer expert. As Lucy studies and sips her way to becoming a Certified Cicerone, she meets an eclectic cast of characters, including brewers, hop farmers, beer sommeliers, pub owners, and fanatical beer drinkers. Her journey into the world of beer is by turns educational, social, and personal just as enjoying a good beer should be.
Review
"We all come to expertise bit by bit, pulled forward by the curiosity of discovery. Lucy Burningham takes us on her own journey in a story that functions at once as an introduction to and loving memoir of beer. I was particularly drawn to her experiences as a woman entering this masculine world; her observations offer a fresh perspective we rarely encounter in books about beer." Jeff Alworth, Author of Secrets of the Master Brewers and The Beer Bible
Review
"Learning about beer can be delicious but daunting. Thankfully we have Lucy Burningham’s bold new book to guide us. Her engaging and witty voyage into the most exotic beer styles reveals not only the mysteries of these innovative brews but Burningham’s own curious, fearless, and ultimately triumphant voice. Enjoyable, illuminating, and smoothly written, My Beer Year whets a mighty thirst." Christian DeBenedetti, Author of The Great American Ale Trail, co-author of Beer Bites, and Founder of Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery
Review
"What a difference a beer makes! Lucy Burningham’s journey from beer-curious to certified expert takes us inside craft breweries, hop yards, festivals, and home brewing circles. Part history, part travelogue, and part tasting notes, this charming, beer-soaked memoir is a must-read for anyone who ever ordered a pint and wished they knew more." Amy Stewart, Author of The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Great Drinks
About the Author
Lucy Burningham has written about craft beer and beer culture for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit, Saveur, Sunset, Epicurious.com, Men's Journal, Imbibe and multiple Lonely Planet titles, including Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest and Food Lover's Guide to the World. She has worked as a journalist for the past 15 years and holds a master's degree in nonfiction writing from Portland State University. Lucy has given presentations and conducted beer tastings at food and drink festivals, Powell's Books, and more. She is a member of the Pink Boots Society, the beer industry's professional organization for women. She hopes that one day her homebrew will be good enough to share with friends.