Hopped Up
How Travel, Trade, and Taste Made Beer a Global Commodity
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc
Publishing:23rd Jan '25
£26.99
This title is due to be published on 23rd January, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
This engaging history details the evolution of beer and brewing worldwide, highlighting regional preferences, globalization, and the shift from local traditions to standardized products, ultimately exploring beer's cultural significance through the ages.
Hopped Up is an engaging exploration of the history of beer and the brewing industry across the globe, tracing its evolution from ancient practices to contemporary production. Author Jeffrey M. Pilcher delves into the interplay between regional preferences and the capitalist forces that have led to the standardization of beer styles. The narrative highlights how beer has functioned as a globally connected commodity, shaped by cultural exchanges and innovations over centuries.
The book examines the rise of iconic national beer brands, such as Budweiser in the United States and Heineken in the Netherlands, while noting that most of these brands represent a similar style: light, crisp Pilsner lager. Pilcher argues that the global proliferation of lager reflects a form of Western cultural imperialism, where European brewing traditions have influenced local tastes around the world. Despite this trend, the resurgence of craft beers like India Pale Ale and Belgian sour ales demonstrates a counter-movement, as enthusiasts seek to revive and celebrate traditional brewing methods.
Pilcher's research draws on extensive archives and industry publications, revealing how the brewing process has evolved alongside social and cultural developments. He highlights the transformation of unique local brews, often made by women, into standardized global products due to advances in industrial brewing and distribution. As the brewing industry has consolidated over the years, there has been a growing interest in returning to local and artisanal practices, yet many microbreweries still navigate the complexities of a profit-driven market. Overall, Hopped Up offers valuable insights into how beer has shaped human experiences and cultural identities throughout history.
Alcohol-and especially beer-has been at the center of human civilization from its very beginning. This entertaining, informative book uses beer as a powerful lens through which to view various historical trends over recent centuries, especially globalization and the backlash against it. Highly recommended. * Edward Slingerland, Author of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization *
Jeffrey Pilcher takes readers on an encyclopedic beer crawl around the globe and across many centuries. Even if you think you 'know' beer, you will likely find a surprise on every page. A tour de force. * Maureen Ogle, Author of Ambitious Brew: A History of American Beer *
There are few products whose history can be traced hand-in-hand with that of civilization on this planet. Beer, then, is quite unique. And there are few authors who have been able to convincingly and authoritatively detail the evolution of beer and brewing from the ancient Fertile Crescent to the complexities of the brewing business in these times of dramatic change. Pilcherâs book is a triumph. * Charlie Bamforth, Senior Quality Advisor, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and University of California, Davis *
A much-needed, wide-ranging, and occasionally polemical counterpunch to received wisdom on everything from the rise of pale lager to the spread of craft beer, and the movements, social, economic, political, and technological, that drove developments in beer and brewing over the centuries. Hopped Up will be essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the contemporary global beer scene and how we arrived where we are today. * Martyn Cornell, Author of Around the World in 80 Beers *
Hopped Up is packed full of fascinating facts, from the origins of brewing to the rivalries that shaped British industrial beer brewing to the meaning behind the label 'Pilsner.' The stories in Hopped Up illustrate how, time and again, these kinds of interactions between brewers, regulators, and consumers have helped to create new beer cultures. * Foreign Policy *
ISBN: 9780197676042
Dimensions: 147mm x 152mm x 33mm
Weight: 635g
352 pages