Despite competition from an ever-growing range of alternative adult beverages, beer remains a vastly important beverage globally. There is a huge diversity of beer styles, drinks suited not only to refreshment and delight in themselves, but also to suit any drinking occasion, including alongside food of all types. There is nutritional value in beer and evidence that, consumed responsibly, it can be a valuable part of a well-balanced diet.

This relates to the wholesomeness of the basic materials employed for the brewing of beer, notably malt and hops, but also the nature of the longstanding processes that are employed in converting cereals such as barley and wheat into malt and thence through the time-honored stages of brewing. This book explains these issues- history, nature and complexity of the modern brewing business, types of beer, quality attributes of beer, the underpinning processes, and much more. Any reader, from those who know little about the subject through to the beer aficionado, will gain a meaningful understanding of beer: the science and technology that are involved in its production and properties but also the art that is at the heart of producing the world's favorite alcoholic drink.