My book on the resurgence of craft beer in America and around the globe, Brewed Awakening: Behind the Beers and Brewers Leading the World’s Craft Brewing Revolution, is out now from Sterling Epicure. Order a copy from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or IndieBound! Got an iPad? Get the book from iTunes! (And you can follow Brewed Awakening on Facebook.) P.S. Contact me at josh.bernstein[at]gmail.com if you would like bulk-shipping info or want to purchase signed copies.
Why Brewed Awakening? Concerning beer, the last decade has witnessed more seismic changes than any time since Prohibition. There are more than 2,000 craft breweries in America, from community-based nanobreweries to the new breed of national brands such as Dogfish Head and Stone. Untethered from stodgy tradition, and driven by unbridled creativity, American and international brewers are leading a boundary-less charge into the global future of beer.
The bitter India pale ale has birthed the burly, super-aromatic double IPA. Alcohol percentages have climbed above ten percent, on par with wine—and now join Pinot noir at dinner tables and on tony restaurants’ drink lists. Wild yeasts have been harnessed and are used to inoculate beers that, in the best way possible, taste like a barnyard. Naturally carbonated cask ales have now achieved cult status. And brewmasters have begun aging their creations in wooden casks that once contained bourbon, brandy, chardonnay, and even tequila, reviving techniques last seen more than a century earlier.
I’ve spent the last six years covering the craft beer industry, traveling from Asheville to Austin, San Francisco to Chicago, Portland to Portland. I’ve hit breweries. Interviewed brewers. And spelunked deep into the people and the trends driving the craft beer revolution. There’s a story in every pint glass. I give voice to them.
Praise for Brewed Awakening
“Joshua M. Bernstein’s Brewed Awakening shines a spotlight on the variety, ingenuity, and innovation that is alive and well in the beer community. Over the past decade, the collective renaissance of beer and brewing has proven that this is the best time in history to be a beer drinker. Brewed Awakening is a great look behind the curtain of the beers that are making this revolution so great.”—Ken Grossman, founder, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
“Brewed Awakening does an excellent job of immersing the reader right into the heart of what craft beer is all about. Hardcore beer geeks and newcomers to the craft beer revolution alike will find a wealth of fascinating, and fascinatingly cool, information on every page.”—Greg Koch, CEO and cofounder, Stone Brewing Co.
“Brewed Awakening has something for every beer lover, but I think it is most ideal for upping the beer IQ of those just entering our ranks. It demystifies the brewing process and the international craft brewing movement.”— Sam Calagione, president and founder, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Want more? Watch the behind-the-scenes video!
