Beer is the world's favorite drink, yet too often it's shrouded in mystery, myth, and complex-sounding terminology. This no-nonsense guide cuts straight through all of it, with simple advice on how to seek out and enjoy the immense range of flavors offered. The maxim that beer should always be fun runs right through this book, which covers all the key essentials in a chatty style. It touches on flavors, teaching drinkers how to explore the tastes they most enjoy and find other similar beers; as well as practical details so they can choose, buy, serve, and taste beer with confidence. It explains the main styles from around the world - wild beers, wheat beers, lagers, golden and blonde ales, farmhouse ales, India pale ales (IPAs) and pale ales, bitters, trappists and abbey beers, barley wines, Scotch ales and old ales, mild ales, porters and stouts, fruit, field, spice and all things nice, and the lunatic fringe. And of course it offers recommendations - more than 200 recommended beers to try - with the author's original tasting notes.