Mirella Amato - Beerology: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Beer...Even More

COPYRIGHT 2014 MIRELLA AMATO

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Appetite by Random House is a registered trademark of Random House LLC

Library and Archives of Canada Cataloguing in Publication is available upon request.
Print ISBN: 9780449016121
e-book ISBN: 9780449016138

Photography by Brilynn Ferguson and Elvis Deane
Photograph on
Author photograph on by Alexa Clark

Published in Canada by Appetite by Random House,
a division of Random House of Canada Limited,
a Penguin Random House Company

www.randomhouse.ca

v3.1

To
Lorenzo Dabove ,
my beer maestro,
for his guidance and
unwavering support.

PEOPLE OFTEN ASK what drew me into the beer industry. The answers simple: beer. Its delicious!

Ive been a fan of beer for a very long time. Its enthralling in so many ways. Apart from being tasty, it is an amazingly varied and complex beverage; theres a beer for every mood, every food and every occasion. Some offer refreshment after work on a hot summers day; others are rich and soothing when its cold outside. Beer is equally at home in a sports bar as it is in a five-star restaurant. Its a beverage that is familiar to many, and yet it never ceases to surprise.

I discovered craft and imported beers early on, in my late teens, and I remember wondering why anyone would choose to always drink the same brand. I still regularly meet people who love to explore wine and food but havent given much thought to beer and I am just as perplexed. Most people at least know whether its best to serve red or white wine with a given dish. There are still far too many people who, if asked to pair the same dish with a beer, wouldnt know where to start. I hope they will start with this book.

This is my crusade: I want to live in a world where everyone has the same basic understanding and appreciation for beer as they do for wine.

A WORLD TO DISCOVER This book is for anyone with an inquisitive mind and an epicurean streak. It is a celebration of beer in its many delicious forms. It is an invitation to explore beer and seek out new favourites. I wont be offering lists of beers to try, because every beer is worth trying at least once. Ill share a few pointers, but wont presume to lay down the law about when or with what to drink which beer because everyones palate and preferences are different.

In my years conducting guided beer tastings, Ive learned that it often takes only a little information to turn curiosity into enthusiasm and set a beer novice on the path to becoming a connoisseur. Ive also learned that because everyones taste is different, each person makes a unique set of discoveries. At the end of my tastings, I often hold a show-of-hands vote asking which beers have come out on top. Inevitably the votes are split across the board, with each participant gravitating towards a different flavour, style, ingredient or historical tidbit. As a consequence, Ive never felt that recommending specific beers is particularly useful. Im not in the business of telling people what to drink. Thats not what this book is about.

Instead, this book provides the basic information necessary to understand beer as a beverage, feel comfortable navigating a beer menu and zero in on personal preferences. It is an invitation to enter the world of beer and a guide to making the most of your journey there. It will provide tools and tips to assist you in exploring every aspect of beer, including styles and flavours, tastingand hosting tasting partiesstorage and service, food pairing and mixing beer cocktails.

Before we dive in, it is about time I, as your proposed guide, introduced myself.

WHY ME? When I first got into beer, I was often teased because I always wanted to go to one of my fancy bars in order to savour making a selection from a wide range of brands. I would drag friends out to breweries to learn more about beer and regularly monopolized pub staff in order to grill them for information. In short, I was (and still am) a bit of a beer geek.

The thought of turning my hobby and passion into full-time employment had always been in the back of my mind, but I wasnt sure how to make it happen. Then in 2007, I moved back to Canada after a year abroad, effectively abandoning my previous line of work, and decided to dive into beer and see where it might take me.

Im curious by nature, love to learn, and have the certificates to prove it! Im a National BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) judge. I completed the Certified Cicerone certification, which is a specialization in the selection, storage and service of beer, and in 2012 I became the first person outside the U.S.and only the sixth person in North Americato earn the title of Master Cicerone. Ive even dabbled in wine and spirits, completing the intermediate certificate with WSET (the Wine and Spirits Education Trust) in order to further hone my sensory evaluation skills.

I have essentially created my own job. Im frequently asked why I dont start up my own brewery or pub. While I have indeed brewed beer and do work closely with both brewers and publicans, I cant imagine loving a job more than the one I have. Its easier to love than define. It has many facets, ranging from guided beer tastings and talking on the radio to training staff and consulting. Everything I do has a common goal: to cultivate and refine beer appreciation at all levels. The two greatest joys in my work are learning new things and sharing that knowledge with others. It is a privilege and a joy to introduce people to new beers or show them one they already know in a different light.

The world of beer is vast, with so many areas to explore, from ingredients and brewing to judging and styles, to history and traditions as well as proper handling, storage and service. It is also in constant evolution. New breweries, beer styles, brewing technologies and historical and scientific research are testing our definition of beer every day; keeping up with the latest trends and discoveries is an exhilarating challenge.

These past few years have been a fantastic experience. We are spoiled to live in a time when there is a phenomenal selection of readily available beers in so many styles and flavours. My journey exploring these beers has very much enriched my life as well as providing me with a living, and I delight in sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm for beer with others.