Poision Pen Press

Brewing Books


Beer in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance - $24.95
Richard W. Unger. Looking at a time when beer was often a nutritional necessity, sometimes used as medicine, could be flavored with everything from the bark of fir trees to thyme & fresh eggs, and was consumed by men, women, & children alike, this books presents an extraordinarily detailed history of the business, art, & govern-ance of brewing. 344p, 23 illos. pb  Univ Penn Press

Brew Like a Monk : Trappist, Abbey, & strong Belgian Ales & How to Brew Them - $17.95

Stan Hieronymous. Delves into monastic brewing, exploring this rich-flavored specialty of the beer world through detailed visits to the modern producers in both America and Belgium. Examines methods for brewing these unique ales suited for both commercial and amateur brewers ready to try their hand at these tasty treats. Tr pb, 272 pp, index, biblio. Brewers Publications   

Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby . . . see Cookery

Compleat Meadmaker - $19.95

Ken Schramm. Veteran beverage hobbyist Schramm introduces the novice to the wonders of mead. With easy-to-follow procedures & simple recipes, he shows how you can quickly & painlessly make your own mead at home. He also introduces flavorful variations for meads using spices, fruit, grapes, and even malt. Tr pb, 212pp, index, 5p biblio, extensive sources list, web sites. Brewers Publications          

Cordials From Your Kitchen - $14.95
Pattie Vargas & Rich Gulling. More than 100 clear and simple recipes for cordials, including fruit, nut, herb, and cream-based liqueurs, coffee liqueurs, ‘candy cordials’, flavored brandies, vodkas, and rums. The book provides recipes using original fruit or flavoring materials and ones using commercial extracts, as well as recipes for using the cordials. Tr pb, 171pp. Storey Books

Farmhouse Ales: Culture & Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition - $17.95

Phil Markowski. Text discusses Wallonian saison & French biere de garde, as well as related specialties such as grisette, biere de Mars, and biere de Noel. By exploring both ingredients and process, the author shows what distinguishes these flavorful ales, and why they hold a special place in the world of beer. Tr pb, 198pp, index, brief reference list, ingredients source list. Brewers Publications

The Homebrewer’s Garden - $14.95
Joe Fisher & Dennis Fisher. This book contains instructions on growing your own hops, unusual grains, and flavoring herbs, building and using an oast or hop dryer, and malting. There is a 40 page descriptive list of suitable herbs. The authors then proceed to give 30 recipes (for beers, ales, stouts, mead, cider, and perry) They conclude the book with a glossary of brewing terms, and a list of sources for herbs, seed grain, and brewing supplies. Storey Books.

Homemade Root Beer & Soda - $14.95
Cresswell, Stephen. From soda water to sarsaparilla, you’ll find easy-to-follow instructions for making more than 6o traditional and modern soft drinks. Extensive material on techniques, supplies & bottles, sanitation, and storage. Includes a lightly alcoholic kvass and a chapter on switchel, shrubs, vinegar drinks, and mulled beverages. Tr pb, 121 pp, index, biblio, brief source list, instructions on tapping trees for sap. Storey Press

Luscious Liqueurs - $12.95

A.J. Rathbun.  50 recipes for sublime and spirited infusions. Making liqueurs at home is relatively simple, and homemade versions are a bargain compared to what you get at the store. In this book, Rathbun shows you how to make your favorite liqueurs at home. The recipes feature infusions that meld liquor with a wide variety of fruits, herbs, and spices. The introduction gives you all necessary information on equipment, techniques, and ingredients. HC, 4-color design, photos, 96 pp. Harvard Common Press

Making Medieval Mead, or Mead Before Digby - $5.00
Christina M Krupp & Bill Gillen. This useful & interesting book attempts to collect all available recipes from sources prior to the publication of Digby’s Closet. The first two parts are thorough discussions of the ingredients used in mead and the process itself, while the third part gives recipes prior to 1600, and the fourth recipes from after 1600. Recipes include both the original text and an English translation. (Recipes from Domostroi do not include the original Russian.) Considerable biblio, glossary. 60pp, paper, saddle-stapled. SCA, Inc.

Making Wild Wines & Meads - $16.95
Pattie Vargas & Rich Gulling. Easy, step-by-step instructions for making wines from fruits, berries, flowers, and more. Chapter on meads, metheglin, and melomels. 125 recipes, glossary, 165 p. paper. Storey Books.

The Origins of Mead - $5.00

Elspeth Payne. Considers Who Made the Mead: Men or Women?, Bees and Beekeeping, The Nature of Honey, Bees and Honey in Christianity, Bees in War, and Geographical References. Extensive end-notes and references. Perfect-bound pamphlet, 59pp. SCA

Sip Through Time - $18.00
Cindy Renfrow. Representative sampling of brewing recipes from earliest times to the present. Organized first by type of recipe, then chronologically. Biblio, list of sources; 300+p, pb.

Uncorking The Past: The quest for wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages - $29.95

Patrick E McGovern. In this lively tour around the world and through the millennia, the author tells the compelling story of humanity’s ingenious, intoxicating quest for the perfect drink. This perfect drink, whether it be mind-altering, medicinal, a religious symbol, a social lubricant, or artists inspiration, has not only been a profound force in history, but may also be fundamental to the human condition itself. Hardcover, 320pp, 10 color photos, 30 b/w photos, 4 maps. Extensive index, select bibliog.. University of California Press

 

Wild Brews: Beer Beyond the Influence of Brewer’s Yeast - $17.95

Jeff Sparrow. This book explores the world of lambics, Flanders Red and Flanders brown beers, as well as the many new American beers produced in a similar style. Detailed description of brewing methods & fermentation procedures used to craft these distinctively flavorful beers, as well as information on wood-barrel aging, blending, and the use of fruit. Brewers Publications

Wild Fermentation: The flavor, nutrition, and craft of live-culture foods - $25.00


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