My Beer Year

Book excerpt: A love note to all things beer—appreciating the history, craftsmanship, and taste of craft beer, as told by an aspiring beer sommelier As a journalist spurred by curiosity and thirst, Lucy Burningham made it her career to write about craft beer, traveling to hop farms, attending rare beer–tasting parties, and visiting as many taprooms, breweries, and festivals as possible. With this as her introduction, Lucy decided to take her relationship with beer to the next level: to become a certified beer expert. As Lucy studies and sips her way to becoming a Certified Cicerone, she meets an eclectic cast of characters, including brewers, hop farmers, beer sommeliers, pub owners, and fanatical beer drinkers. Her journey into the world of beer is by turns educational, social, and personal—just as enjoying a good beer should be. “Part history, part travelogue, and part tasting notes, this charming, beer-soaked memoir is a must-read for anyone who ever ordered a pint and wished they knew more.” —Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist