In December 2010 I embarked on a journey to catalog every brewery in four states; Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. Three-and-a-half years, over 10,000 miles, 30 hotel rooms, countless road meals, and a whole lot of beer later, the job is complete.
I am thrilled to announce the publication by the University of Illinois Press of A Perfect Pint’s Beer Guide to the Heartland, a comprehensive compendium of brewing in the upper-Midwest. In it I profile 236 breweries, of which I actually visited over 210. On my visits I talked to brewers and owners, toured facilities, sampled beer, chatted up customers and tasted food to get a clear picture of the story behind each and every place.
Every profile includes the basic who-what-where, along with other information such as brewery size and maker, lists of beers, nearby attractions, amenities, and my personal notes on what made each place unique to me. I also give my personal pick for which beer to try from every brewery. It’s a great companion for beer travelers to the region.
In addition to the brewery profiles, three historical articles at the beginning chart the rise of the brewing giants after prohibition, tell the story of the Grain Belt brand, and show how old lagering caves are now being put to other uses. In the back is a glossary of beer terms.
The book is currently available at all the online booksellers as well as in major bookstores. If you want a signed copy, order it from my Perfect Pint Square Marketplace page. I’ll sign it and ship it off to you.
I’ve got a number of signing events schedules for the coming weeks.
- Wednesday, June 4th: Northbound Smokehouse Brewpub, Minneapolis, MN, 4-7 pm
- Thursday, June 5th: Mankato Brewery, Mankato, MN, 5-8 pm, Basic Beer Sensory Class at 7 pm
- Monday, June 9th: Ale Asylum, Madison, WI, 4-7 pm
- Monday, June 9th: Vintage Brewing, Madison, WI, 8-10 pm
- Tuesday, June 10th: Capital Brewery, Middleton, WI, 5-8 pm
- Wednesday, June 11th: Destihl, Normal, IL, 7-9 pm
- Thursday, June 12th: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Urbana, IL, 5 pm
- Thursday, June 12th: Blind Pig, Champaign, IL 9 pm
Keep an eye on the Perfect Pint’s Beer Guide to the Heartland Facebook page for more events as scheduled.