The Meanings of Craft Beer

July 25, 2016 Jack Perdue

Evan Rail

Evan Rail is a writer of many sorts but most compelling to me, he writes interesting and provocative books and muses about beer. I don't remember how I first discovered his writings, most likely in a podcast interview. But I immediately began to seek out his writings.

I have since read several of his books and listened to him being interviewed. I loved his take on Anthony Bourdain (priceless) from his experience on "No Reservations" when Evan guided him to an old Czech brewery. He offers a more full account in his book, “Beer Trails: The Brewery in the Bohemian Forest.”

When the ancient brewery in the Czech forest town of Kout na Šumave reopened in 2006, rumors began circulating about a mysterious brewing log — written in a long-forgotten, black-letter script — that had been discovered, hidden in the crumbling walls of the brewery. The beer from Kout na Šumave was so good, so strangely delicious, that many who tasted it believed that it had to be made using secrets from the old brewing book. Over the course of several years, Evan Rail made several trips out to the old brewery in Kout na Šumave, even bringing Anthony Bourdain out there to film a segment for his television show “No Reservations.” This is the story of Evan’s attempts to get to the heart of Czech beer, and to learn the secrets of the old brewery in the Bohemian Forest.

Beer Trails: The Brewery in the Bohemian Forest

The Meanings of Craft Beer

If you have more than a casual interest in the craft beer movement you will find his most recent book on Amazon an interesting and even compelling treatise — The Meanings of Craft Beer. Evan offers an excellent review of the craft beer industry, how we got here and why. But perhaps more importantly, he opens up a debate of what we call craft beer today. Can it really be defined? Should we try? In the end, he offers his definition and entices us to give more thought to what we drink. When I first read the title, I saw "the meaning of craft beer" as if singular, but upon a closer look I discovered it is actually "meanings". And that is really what the book is about — more than one, evolved and still evolving, and very much personal.

Other Beery Writings

Along with The Meaning of Craft Beer and Beer Trails: The Brewery in the Bohemian Forest, his other beer related books include: Why Beer Matters, Triple Bock, In Praise of Hangovers, Good Beer Guide Prague & the Czech Republic and The Brewery at Strelsov Abbey.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed the reading, the learning, the thinking... and the sharing. Check out some of Evan's writings, I'm convinced you will too. If that interested, you can sign up for updates from his website or follow him on Twitter. Cheers!