Throughout its rich and vibrant history, Baltimore has been known by a variety of names: Mobtown, the Land of Pleasant Living, or Charm City to name just a few. Perhaps "Beer Town" would have been more appropriate. Several pivotal events in Maryland's history involved the brewing industry. Baltimore brewers were vital to building the fledgling town into the bustling city it is today. These brewers established some of the earliest churches in Baltimore. Eagle Brewery's Harry Von der Horst helped build the Orioles into a pennant-winning team in the 1890s. Mary Pickersgill sewed the stars upon the Star Spangled Banner on the floor of Brown's Brewery during the War of 1812.

Join Rob Kasper as he uses interviews, stunning vintage images and a few recipes to pop the cap on Charm City's brewing history. Since Mary Pickersgill sewed Old Glory on the floor of a local brewery, Baltimore has been a beer-drinking town. At the turn of the nineteenth century, German immigrants erected elaborate breweries and leafy beer gardens, and the thirteen awful years of Prohibition only whetted the city's thirst for frosty pints. By the 1950s, Gunther and National Bohemian had joined advertising forces with the Orioles and the Colts in a spirited battle with American, Free State and Arrow for the palates and wallets of the Chesapeake Bay's burgeoning beer-drinking population. Baltimore beer scholar and journalist Rob Kasper traces the sudsy story from the days when alehouses lined the Jones Falls to the tales behind the current crop of local brewers who are fermenting a craft brew revival.

One of the most exciting and dynamic segments of todays brewing scene is American-brewed sour beers, with craft brewers and home-brewers alike adapting traditional European techniques to create some of the worlds most distinctive and experimental styles. This book details the wide array of processes and ingredients in American sour beer production, with actionable advice each step of the way. Inspiration and practical applications for brewers of all levels are provided by some of the countrys best known sour beer brewers, including Russian River, Jolly Pumpkin and The Lost Abbey.

"Former minor-league baseball player Byron Bennett has a deep and spiritual connection to the game of baseball and its history. He sees things in a way others cannot and believes in things others would not. He thinks the old men working the menial jobs in the dienrs, dives, and graveyards he frequents are not what they seem. They try to fit in, go unnoticed, but Byron suspects thay are not your typical second-career workign stiffs"--Page 4 of cover.

Includes Washington D. C. Lively descriptions of 57 breweries and brewpubs in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., with a history of brewing in the area and information about the types of beer produced at each site, tours, food served, and nearby lodging and attractions, along with the author's pick of his favorite beer for each brewery.

Hophead Harry explains how beer is made with the help of his friends, Bobby Barley, Mary Malts, Wendy Water, and Brewmaster Brooks.