Page 14 - Thirst Magazine Issue 2 June 2017

RECOMMENDED
What we have on our book shelves (and TV screens) right now. By Flavia Galeotti
BREWED IN JAPAN:
THE EVOLUTION OF THE
JAPANESE BEER INDUSTRY
BY JEFFREY W. ALEXANDER (2013)
History professor Jeffrey Alexander writes
the first English exploration of the steady rise
of beer in Japan. Over 300 pages Alexander
documents how Japanese brewers adopted
the liquid into their culture over a few
generations, beginning with the start of
brewing in the country, challenges faced
during World War II, and the situation post-
war with the emergence of craft beer and
innovative beer-like products. An academic
read, but greatly interesting to Japanophiles
and industry professionals alike.
TASTING WHISKEY:
AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO
THE UNIQUE PLEASURES
OF THE WORLD’S FINEST SPIRITS
BY LEW BRYSON (2014)
Lew Bryson – who has been writing about
beers and spirits since 1995 – shares in this
book everything there is to know about
the world’s greatest whiskies. Covering
everything from Scotch, bourbon, Irish,
Japanese, and even Canadian whisk(e)y,
this is a comprehensive guide on how to
collect, age, and serve the amber liquid.
BEER, FOOD, AND FLAVOR :
A GUIDE TO TASTING, PAIRING,
AND THE CULTURE OF CRAFT BEER
BY SCHUYLER SCHULZ (EXPANDED SECOND EDITION 2015)
Learn how to properly taste and describe craft
beers, and how to pair them with fine food in
this 300 page guide by experienced chef and
connoisseur Schuyler Schultz. The book is an
exploration into how craft beer and the new
American food movement can be integrated
together, also bearing in mind local and
sustainable production.
14
BOOKS_Readings.indd 14
THE COMPLETE BEER COURSE
BY JOSHUA M. BERNSTEIN (2013)
Just as the title suggests, this is a 12-part
course that spans the world of beers. It’s an
incredibly comprehensive guide that takes
you through lagers, pilsners, aromatic pale
ales, roasty stouts and so on, in easy-to-
follow classes. You’ll also learn how to pair
beer with food through suggested tastings,
and even start your own beer cellar.
WHISKEY: THE DEFINITIVE
WORLD GUIDE
BY MICHAEL JACKSON (2017 EDITION)
From the famous, late whisk(e)y writer
Michael Jackson (not the singer), take a
journey across the globe to discover the
world of whisk(e)y today. From Scotland to
Japan, you’ll learn about the distilleries and
the tasting notes of key whiskies, as well as
cocktails, food pairings, and proper storage,
through this beautifully illustrated guide.
Documentary
TSUKIJI WONDERLAND
DIRECTED BY NAOTARO ENDO (2016)
Here we take a little detour and shine a
spotlight on food rather than drink with this
1 hour 51 minute tour through Japan’s famous
Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. Filmed over 16
months since March 2014, Endo-san’s first
feature film was made for posterity before
the market is to be closed and moved from
the site in Tokyo to Toyosu in winter 2017 (or
so the plan goes) in preparation for the 2020
Olympic Games. It’s an immersive look at the
intense and fast-paced life on the floor of what
is known as ‘the kitchen of Japan’, where over
12,000 workers and 30,000 customers conduct
business over a wide variety of the freshest
prime seafood in the world. Focus is placed
squarely on the nakaoroshi, the highly skilled
intermediate wholesalers who sift through
each day’s offerings to find the best products
for their chef clients, each one going through
their business like a master painter.
Enjoy the film with a plate of fresh sashimi
and a dram of Japanese whisky for a full
sensory experience (minus the crowds).
28/5/2017 11:08:55 PM