Good Beer Guide West Coast USA

Two young British beer writers, Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, have captured, in print, an infectious enthusiasm for the USA's exciting beer and brewing scene.

“We felt inspired to write the book as so many people are unaware of the joys of American beer,” said Ben, the youngest ever winner of the British Guild of Beer Writers' beer writer of the year award.

“Fun, fanatical, cutting edge, joyful, often outrageous and bridled in envelope-pushing zeal, America is ‘beervana', it's ‘brewtopia', it's beer-drinking heaven. And the West Coast is the best place to discover this.”

America is now home to more beer styles than anywhere else in the world and its flourishing brewing industry has a growing reputation for quality and innovation. In 1988 there were 46 micros and brewpubs. That figure has now risen to 1,390 micros, brewpubs and regional craft brewers, proving that not all American beer begins with Bud and ends with Miller.

Tom added: “Any beer fan worth his or her salt should be aware of every international pocket of beer excellence and the West Coast currently boasts some of the most innovative and enthusiastic brewers in the world. The book is a guide to the very best of them and adds to this with comprehensive coverage of the phenomenally successful brewpub scene and the very best beer bars up and down the coast.”

This lively and humorous, full-colour, illustrated guide details over 500 breweries, beers and great places to find them on America's West Coast, plus Las Vegas, Alaska and Hawaii. The book also includes recommended beers and tasting notes, sections on the history of beer in America and US beer styles. It has all the information, and inspiration on travel and accommodation, beer festivals for the independent traveller and drinker.

The broad appeal of the title has generated interest on both sides of the pond. Ken Grossman, founder and president of the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, said the title was “an amusing and thorough guide book that captures the spirit of America's blossoming beer culture".

l Good Beer Guide West Coast USA, featuring Las Vegas, Alaska and Hawaii, is priced £14.99 and published by CAMRA Books. Available in all good book shops or direct from CAMRA and distributed in the USA and Canada by Trafalgar Square publishing from April 1 2008. ISBN 978-185249-244-1.

March 4, 2008