Two New Classic Books on Beer & Ale Brewing

With the explosion of interest in the brewing, marketing and consumption of Craft Beer over the last decade or more, there has also been an increased interest in brewing history. Small scale brewers have delved deeply into the past, reviving the age-old traditions of farm house brewing, small-batch experimentation and a more organic approach to beer and ale creation.

As a result, in cooperation with the International Beer News website, we have just produced two new books to kick off their History of Brewing Series.


The first, A Treatise on the Brewing of Beer, was written by E. Hughes and dates from 1796. It is a very modest work, extending but to 36 pages, but does include some insightful thoughts on the production of beers and ales via traditional methods. The second book, The London and Country Brewer, was originally published in 1736, and offers 100 pages of thoughtful advice on brewing, selection of malt and hops, as well as beer storage and transportation.

We'll admit that the writing style is far more formal than modern ears may be accustomed to, and this may present a modest challenge to some readers. Nevertheless, the information as presented in both books is logical, heartfelt and indeed, rather entertaining. To that end, we have retained all of the traditional idioms and spellings from the original edition, since they add so much to the overall effect of the works.