Mankind was drinking beer long before they started to write down their history. In other words: We drank beer way before we could even write. But how much do we really know about beer? ‘Well, beer. That’s Water, grain, yeast and hops, right?’ That’s right, but beer has a very rich history which is worthy of being told. The popularity of craft-beer of the last years is just the latest chapter of this story. The history of beer is a long and extensive one, hard to catch in one single book. But The Comic Book Story of Beer has managed to do it, in a very accessible fashion.
Writers Jonathan Hennessey and Mike Smith came to the conclusion that there are a LOT of books about beer. That’s why they decided to joined forces with artist Aaron McConnel. The result didn’t disappoint. A book that tells the history of beer in a unique way in the form of a comic. The Comic Book Story of Beer is a match made in haven for the comic book reading lover of beer. But even if you never read comics, you might like this grahic novel. The book isn’t only very pretty to see, it also contains a lot of trivia about beer. A few things we’ve learned thanks to this book:
- The word ‘beer’ origins from the Latin word ‘bibebre’, which means: ‘to drink’, So, the word beer is basically synonymous with the act of drinking itself.
- Beer is the most drunk beverage on the planet, even more than coffee and cola.
- The oldest beer ever discovered was found in jars in the north of current China and dates from 7.000 BC. This beer was once recreated (Chateau Jiahu) and won a golden medal on The Great American Beer Festival in 2009.
Besides a lot of fun facts, this graphic novel tells the history of a lot of different beerstyles such as Indian Pale Ale (IPA), Pilsner and Stout. It latterly takes you on a journey through the history of beer, from the stone age to modern day. The Comic Book Story of Beer is in our opinion an enrichment for the bookcase of every selfrespecting beer lover and a nice addition to your knowledge of beer. The book is available on Bol.com and Amazon.
