The Beer Lover’s Card Deck

Jeff Alworth is the award-winning author of The Secrets of Master Brewers, Cider Made Simple, and The Widmer Way. A widely recognized authority on all things beer, he is a regular speaker, teacher, and consultant who cohosts the Beervana podcast and radio show. His writing appears regularly in Craft Beer & Brewing and on his long-running website, Beervana. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Whether you're new to the burgeoning world of craft beer or an old hand who just wants to learn a little more, here are 50 full-color cards jam-packed with expertise, insider tips, and detailed flavor profiles of dozens of beer styles. Discover barley wines, bitters, and ales of the Rhine. The world of classic lagers. And pale ales, like porters and stouts. Plus the basics of expertly pairing beer with food. Because life's too short and too full of good beer to waste your time on beers that don't excite you.

CLASSIC ALES Bitters Pale Ales Mild and Brown Ales Porters and Stouts Barley Wines and Old Ales Scottish Ales Ales of the Rhine: Kolsches and Altbiers Belgian Ales Saisons and Rustic Belgian Ales Abbey and Trappist Ales French Ales German Weizens   CLASSIC LAGERS Dark Lagers: Dunkels, Schwarzbiers, and Czech Tmaves Czech Lagers Pale Lagers: Pilsners, Helles, and Dortmund Exports Amber Lagers: Marzens and Vienna Lagers Bocks Mass-Market Lagers   NEW AND UNUSUAL STYLES Hoppy American Ales Fresh-Hop Ales Sake European Farmhouse Ales   TART AND WILD ALES The Lambic Family Tart German Wheat Ales: Berliner Weisses and Goses Wild Ales   PAIRING BEER WITH FOOD The basics of a good pairing Malt flavors Hop flavors Fermentation flavors The seven flavor categories Putting it all together If the beer is hoppy and/or bitter If the beer is sweet If the beer is tart If the beer is roasty If the beer is malty If the beer is alcoholic or strong If the food is bitter If the food is sweet If the food is tart or sour If the food is meaty If the food is salty If the food is spicy How to say “cheers!”