Product Description

Radical Brewing takes a hip and creative look at beer brewing, presented with a graphically appealing two-color layout.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12988 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 350 pages

From the Publisher
Radical Brewing: The New Classic of Beer Literature

History, humor and homebrewing converge when the creative and prolific mind of Randy Mosher explores the expressive side of beer in Radical Brewing.

Mosher sees homebrewing—and by extension craft brewing—as an antidote to corporate, mass-market beers. Over two decades of brewing and beer research, he has probed the depths of beer history in both his reading and his brewing. Radical Brewing displays the many unique ales and lagers that have resulted from his celebration of beer while serving as a vehicle for discussing a creative, "outside the lines" approach to modern brewing. Through it all, the reader is treated to Mosher’s irresistible love of beer and brewing as well as some very humorous asides on beer history.

The infectious spirit of homebrewing is hard to resist when one reviews Mosher’s recipe for "Electric Aunt Jemima Maple Buckwheat Ale," checks out the section on "(Not so Dumb) Blonde Ales" or chuckles through his fanciful description of the birth of beer featuring the ancient Harl’eh-riding Ur’s Angels. Best of all, the two-color visually rich content comes in self-contained segments that instantly engage readers no matter what page they turn to.

Typically, modern brewing books focus on the science of how to brew—and Mosher has mastered all of that. But in Radical Brewing, he focuses on the creative, expressive opportunities available to those with a brew kettle. Each chapter offers techniques and recipes as well as ideas for independent exploration of new brewing frontiers. The result is a text that both informs and inspires experienced brewers while providing an engaging and intelligent introduction to the hobby for newcomers.

Famed beer writer Michael Jackson once called Mosher "some kind of homebrewing genius" and in the forward to Radical Brewing, he further lionizes this genius, saying "His activities are probably a threat to our morals. Passion, imagination and tenacity are a challenge to the established order." These two masters of beer have collaborated in the past, as Jackson notes when he tells how Mosher accurately recreated the flavor of a now-lost beer style that even Jackson had only once tasted himself. And though Jackson’s accolades for Mosher are great, one can only imagine that they will pale as practicing brewers of all stripes begin to digest Mosher’s treasure-trove of beer ideas and render their own reviews of this delightful book.

From the Inside Flap
From the Foreword, The Marvel of Mosher, by Michael Jackson:

The world desperately needs more Moshers. If only we had more Moshers, the Tasmanian tiger might return from extinction. Mike Tyson at his peak would be able to step into the ring with Muhammad Ali. We would be able to see and hear the great performers who pre-dated the recording of sound. I might even now be sipping a pre-Prohibition beer and checking whether Buddy Bolden could be heard across Lake Ponchartrain. Or I might be sampling Harwood's Porter in a London pub, or an India Pale Ale aboard a clipper heading for Calcutta.

About the Author
A master of brewing science, Randy Mosher (Chicago, IL) applies his restless curiosity and creative energy toward the art of brewing.

As a veteran and award winning brewer, Randy Mosher knows the rules of brewingDand when to break them. He is the author of The Brewers Companion (Alephenalia Publications, 1994), the homebrewing columnist in All About Beer, a regular contributor to Zymurgy (the Journal of the American Homebrewers Association) and is a frequent lecturer on beer across the country. He is also on the board of directors of the American Homebrewers Association and the Chicago Beer Society.

With a background in advertising graphics, Mosher has been a creative force in homebrewing for more than 20 years. In Radical Brewing, he shares his many discoveries and secrets (try the recipe for Tangerine Porter) with an amusing tone and gently bent approach that will engage new brewers and captivate creative thinkers of all types.

Customer Reviews

Great book!!
This book is not for someone who's never brewed but if you've done it a few times, this book will get you hooked. The methods, ingredients, and everything else about this makes you want to try brewing in ways you probably wouldn't imagine otherwise.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a little adventure in their brewing.

Great to see all the possibilities
I just started home brewing, and I want more--Randy Mosher's book gives me that. This book gives a full spectrum on brewing, from the history to the chemistry to tons of recipes for creating many different types of beer. This guy has a great sense of humor, and the book is also very visually engaging. This book answered many of my questions about how beer brewing works and what to do and what not to do. Most of the recipes he gives have instructions for beginners and advanced brewers, so this book can definitely "grow" with you. I would suggest brewing a few batches first, before trying the more advanced techniques, and/or purchasing the other books described in these reviews as companions. I was really happy to see that there are so many possibilities for home brew, and the author's enthusiasm motivates me to try them. A great book!

Superior writing, excellent illustrations, priceless information
This as my first brewing book and still my favorite. If you get one brewing book, this is the one. While not encyclopedic in brewing details, it shines in inspirational historical insight into what beer IS.
A joy to behold, you will not be disappointed!