There has never been a better time to be a beer drinker, but it also the most confusing time thanks to the dizzying array of beer we now have on draft. Beer expert Joshua M. Bernstein comes to our rescue with his great book The Complete Beer Course ($16), which demystifies brews and breaks down the elements that make the basic flavor of beer spin off into many distinctively delicious and different directions. Built around a series of easy-to-follow classes, this course hops between lagers and pilsners to Trappist ales,hazy wheat beers, Belgian-style abbey, aromatic pale ales, bitter IPAs, Barrel aged brews, roasty stouts, belly-warming barley wines, and those mouth-puckering sour ales. There is even a master class on international beers and another the pairing of beer with food and how to start own beer cellar. Through targeted, suggested tastings, you will learn what to drink and when and what to dump down a drain.
