In moving beyond traditional coffee table books on beer, author Kevin Trayner offers novice and experienced drinkers alike a host of helpful suggestions in his appropriately titled Beer Drinker's Handbook. In this handsome volume, the author provides readers with a wealth of information about beer, its history and lineage, and suggestions on how to best enjoy this intriguing beverage.

In steady, if dispassionate prose, Trayner organizes the book into the obligatory sections: brewing history, the brewing process, beer styles, and profiles of popular or outstanding breweries from around the world. While beer writers typically cover these areas in their general interest titles, Trayner provides a great deal more detail about each subject. He steadfastly covers the traditional ingredients in beer, with a thorough, but approachable description of the brewing process.

The volume's best feature may be its extensive focus on tasting and appreciating beer. In this section, Trayner describes how beer appeals to the five senses and offers suggestions for maximizing the potential of each. This section is thoughtfully appointed with photos of proper pours and common ingredients. To finish the section, Trayner offers general suggestions as to the storage and serving temperatures for a range of beer styles.

In the profile section, Trayner's efforts stretch a little thin in the coverage of individual breweries. In its whirlwind tour of the world of brewing, the book offers only cursory looks at a select few breweries, often briefly discussing a single popular product from the featured brewery. In structuring each new regional section, Trayner displays his respect for the history of brewing in each featured country or continent. While some of this history is well-known to beer geeks (such as the resurrection of the Anchor Brewing Company), Trayner's coverage of some of the world's lesser known brewing regions is quite refreshing. Specifically, Trayner sheds a welcomed light on the histories and present offerings of Australia, New Zealand, and Africa.

The Beer Drinker's Handbook is well-illustrated, with striking product photos and a refreshing lack of stock images. Among obvious favorites is the photo of an older gentleman knee-deep in hops shoveling a wheel barrel's worth of cones at the Pridewood Hops farm in Britain.

Overall, the Beer Drinker's Handbook is a welcomed addition to the library of a beer novice or experienced enthusiast.

Article originally appeared in November 2003 edition of Ale Street News.