[A] shaggy little history of the craft beer industry…at once a tribute to its loose-limbed entrepreneurs and an airing of their familiar frustrations and triumphs.” —The New York Times
“Hindy offers insights and glimpses only someone deep behind the lines could provide. Part of what makes his book feel fresh is his depiction of how little those involved early on were aware of where they were headed or how successful or influential they would ultimately be…. Hindy's explanation of the complex, often fraught ecosystem behind all those bottles will make whichever one you choose taste a bit more like victory.” —The Wall Street Journal
“The Craft Beer Revolution is a great read…And he does a nice job doing what he set out to do — telling us, in an easy-to-take way, how ‘breweries across America got your favorite artisanal suds into your mug at your local pub, and how these craft brewers developed a community that sparked a worldwide revolution.'” —Fortune
“The stories of the craft brewers—such as Fritz Maytag of Anchor Steam and Jim Koch of Sam Adams—featured in the book are engrossing, but what I find most interesting about this story is the evolution of the beer industry, and the lessons it might hold for the big players in other industries.” —Strategy+Business
“Hindy balances reverence with realism, resulting in a vigorous... genealogy of the burgeoning world of craft beer.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A serious and important work.” —Domestic Craft Beer Corner
“This is a wonderful story of the rebirth of the American brewing industry written by one of the entrepreneurs who helped make it happen. I once mused that one day there would be a brewery in every city in America. It is happening much more quickly than I ever imagined.” —Fritz Maytag, Former owner, Anchor Brewing Co.
“The Craft Beer Revolution is a must-read for any beer lover or liquid locavore who cares to know how and why so many remarkable choices exist for those who want their beer to taste like where it was brewed. Steve Hindy has been at the center of the revolution from the beginning, and his authoritative and entertaining report shares the back-, mid-, and front-stories of the pioneers who have given us the gift of craft beer.” —Danny Meyer, Restaurateur and Author, Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business
“What an engaging wander through a fascinating contemporary history! Steve Hindy artfully fills in the blanks on some of the greatest entrepreneurial stories of America's craft breweries and the iconoclastic cast of characters involved in this movement, while also rewarding us with new, never-before-told tales. Altogether a marvelous read.” —Kim Jordan, Cofounder and CEO, New Belgium Brewing Co
“Who better to chronicle the history of the craft beer revolution than a former reporter and founder of one of the country's seminal craft breweries? Steve was there and lived it, and he tells the fascinating story of how craft beer turned an industry like only an insider could. The Craft Beer Revolution reads like a thriller—I couldn't put it down.” —Harry Schuhmacher, Publisher, Beer Business Daily
“While Steve Hindy and I still disagree about many things, including some of his stories in this book, no one has done a better job of bringing to life the cast of characters who created the craft beer revolution. He does a great job of telling the story of how American beer went from also ran to the envy of the world.” —Jim Koch, Founder and Chairman, Boston Beer Co
“A lively, entertaining history by an insider. Steve Hindy portrays colorfully and knowledgeably the people who created the new breweries and the new beers. It's a compelling story of the craft beer revolution, a phenomenal flowering of American entrepreneurship.” —Jerry Steinman, Founder, Beer Marketer's INSIGHTS
“Steve's position in the craft industry puts him in a unique position—he both grew alongside it as an owner of Brooklyn Brewery and helped steer its course as an active Brewers Association member. He very accurately depicts the craft revolution's highs and lows and the camaraderie, challenging to maintain at times, that underlies it all.” —Ken Grossman, Cofounder and CEO, Sierra Nevada BC
“Balance. It's a desired trait in the brewing world. That perfectly comforting zone created through the interplay of hops and barley. Steve Hindy has found the equivalent space as a beer-journalist-slash-brewing-pioneer in his book The Craft Beer Revolution. Combining entertaining doses of craft brewing history with approachable descriptions of the brewers art and the fearless exploration of these entrepreneurs who changed the face of American brewing. A delicious and session-able read.” —Sam Calagione, Founder & President, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
“Steve Hindy weaves a vivid mix of passionate advocacy and cold hard journalism to describe the disruption which occurred first to large brewers, and now to small brewers grown big. The Craft Beer Revolution is a fascinating and entertaining read, revealing the idiosyncrasies and passion of the players who built the movement. If you love beer, you have to read it!” —Tom Long, CEO, MillerCoors
“The rise of the American craft beer movement is one of the greatest business stories of all time. As a founding father and one hell of a writer, Steve weaves an amazing story of innovation and imagination that is truly unique to the world.” —Dolf Vandenbrink, CEO, Heineken USA
“With great passion and creativity, a generation of new American brewers is elevating the status of beer in the culinary world. The Craft Beer Revolution is the compelling inside story of their rise.” —Dr. Tim Ryan, CEO, The Culinary Institute of America
“The Craft Beer Revolution has captivated the imagination of the Media, Wall Street, and Big Beer, as well as the attention, minds and hearts of the consumer. Hindy's history, research, real-life experience and story-telling ability paint an accurate picture of how this movement got started and what propelled it to its current heights. It's been a great ride for craft brewers, and this is a great read!” —Gary Fish, Founder & CEO, Deschutes Brewery and Chairman, Brewers Association
“The craft beer revolution, the most exciting development in the beer industry since the birth of lager beer in the 19th Century, now has its chronicler. Steve Hindy tells the story as only a skilled journalist and an important player in the revolution could tell it. For decades going forward, this will be an important book for those who want to understand this transformative business story.” —Daniel Bradford, Publisher, All About Beer magazine
“Steve Hindy brings a war-tested reporter's journalistic skill and a veteran insider's perspective to the good beer story, making his new book, The Craft Beer Revolution, compelling. This book is an essential resource and a great read not only for those of us who participated in the craft beer renaissance, but also for a new generation of brewers and beer enthusiasts thirsting for the real story.” —Tom Dalldorf, Publisher, Celebrator Beer News
“A lively, entertaining history by an insider. Steve Hindy portrays colorfully and knowledgeably the people who created the new breweries and the new beers. It's a compelling story of the craft beer revolution, a phenomenal flowering of American entrepreneurship.” —Jerry Steinman, Founder, Beer Marketer's INSIGHTS
“Steve's position in the craft industry puts him in a unique position—he both grew alongside it as an owner of Brooklyn Brewery and helped steer its course as an active Brewers Association member. He very accurately depicts the craft revolution's highs and lows and the camaraderie, challenging to maintain at times, that underlies it all.” —Ken Grossman, Cofounder and CEO, Sierra Nevada BC
“Balance. It's a desired trait in the brewing world. That perfectly comforting zone created through the interplay of hops and barley. Steve Hindy has found the equivalent space as a beer-journalist-slash-brewing-pioneer in his book The Craft Beer Revolution. Combining entertaining doses of craft brewing history with approachable descriptions of the brewers art and the fearless exploration of these entrepreneurs who changed the face of American brewing. A delicious and session-able read.” —Sam Calagione, Founder & President, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
“Steve Hindy weaves a vivid mix of passionate advocacy and cold hard journalism to describe the disruption which occurred first to large brewers, and now to small brewers grown big. The Craft Beer Revolution is a fascinating and entertaining read, revealing the idiosyncrasies and passion of the players who built the movement. If you love beer, you have to read it!” —Tom Long, CEO, MillerCoors
“The rise of the American craft beer movement is one of the greatest business stories of all time. As a founding father and one hell of a writer, Steve weaves an amazing story of innovation and imagination that is truly unique to the world.” —Dolf Vandenbrink, CEO, Heineken USA
“With great passion and creativity, a generation of new American brewers is elevating the status of beer in the culinary world. The Craft Beer Revolution is the compelling inside story of their rise.” —Dr. Tim Ryan, CEO, The Culinary Institute of America
“The Craft Beer Revolution has captivated the imagination of the Media, Wall Street, and Big Beer, as well as the attention, minds and hearts of the consumer. Hindy's history, research, real-life experience and story-telling ability paint an accurate picture of how this movement got started and what propelled it to its current heights. It's been a great ride for craft brewers, and this is a great read!” —Gary Fish, Founder & CEO, Deschutes Brewery and Chairman, Brewers Association
“The craft beer revolution, the most exciting development in the beer industry since the birth of lager beer in the 19th Century, now has its chronicler. Steve Hindy tells the story as only a skilled journalist and an important player in the revolution could tell it. For decades going forward, this will be an important book for those who want to understand this transformative business story.” —Daniel Bradford, Publisher, All About Beer magazine
“Steve Hindy brings a war-tested reporter's journalistic skill and a veteran insider's perspective to the good beer story, making his new book, The Craft Beer Revolution, compelling. This book is an essential resource and a great read not only for those of us who participated in the craft beer renaissance, but also for a new generation of brewers and beer enthusiasts thirsting for the real story.” —Tom Dalldorf, Publisher, Celebrator Beer News
“The Craft Beer Revolution is a great American success story, told from the front row seat of Brooklyn Brewery cofounder Steve Hindy. The book shows an industry of brewers and distributors that is great because of the goodness of its people. Hindy entertains the reader with wonderful portraits of the people involved. The book is part high school yearbook and part Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff." It shows us an industry that is being transformed and still works well for all involved, most importantly the consumer. ” —Craig Purser, President and CEO of the National Beer Wholesalers Association
“Steve Hindy is a pioneer, visionary and tireless advocate for the craft beer industry. His extensive background as a journalist coupled with his experience and passion for the craft beer industry result in a fascinating and most interesting perspective of the last six decades of a dynamic and colorful industry. Steve captures both the makings of a craft beer revolution and more recent evolution of the industry as a whole. I applaud Steve for this great work, his tireless commitment to this wonderful industry and congratulate all those that make this such a great and unique business.” —Bill Hackett, President, Crown Imports LLC
“This book serves as a great history lesson about how craft brewing has changed the beer industry and captivated consumers. Through innovation and meeting customers' demands craft brewers have grown far beyond their niche and now own a sizeable piece of the beer market, once controlled by a select group of larger breweries. As this trend has grown, it's consumers that have been the real winner as unique craft beers are now an important part of any culinary experience. Steve has written a book drawing from his incredible expertise as a true trail blazer in the industry, focused on how to not only make great beer but how to gain respect and notoriety when brewing.” —Scott Crawford, Executive Coordinator of Purchasing, Whole Foods Market Northeast Region
2014-03-18
Former journalist and Brooklyn Brewery co-founder Hindy (co-author: Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery, 2005) considers craft beers and the innovators who brought them to the wider American and global markets from the 1960s to the present. Beginning with an account of Fritz Maytag, the force behind San Francisco's Anchor Brewing Company, the author draws from choice interviews, magazines such as All About Beer, anecdotes and related ephemera to explore a variety of topics. These include the legalization of home brewing in 1979; seminal writers in the early days of the practice, such as Charlie Papazian (The Complete Joy of Homebrewing) and Michael Jackson (The World Guide to Beer); the frequent path from homebrewing to microbrewery and brewpub startups; forerunners, including Jim Koch of the Boston Beer Company; and numerous profiles of second- and third-generation brewers. With extensive passages devoted to the intricacies of formulating standards, initial challenges in establishing camaraderie among brewers, relationships with distributors, the sometimes-negative view of contract brewers and responses to media-fueled "wars" with larger corporations such as Anheuser-Busch, this is a book for intense aficionados. Thorough surveys of the field—from descriptions of actions by the Association of Brewers and other organizations to play-by-plays of particular company sales—reveal an insider's dedication to the business. For the generalist, chapters that emphasize the can-do spirit embodied by men and women who gambled on their dreams, and that reveal a frequent interest in giving back to the communities that supported them, offer more interesting, personal stories. Despite tensions between craft brewers, what emerges is a revolution marked by "a band of Davids" bent on confronting the "Goliaths." Hindy balances reverence with realism, resulting in a vigorous, if sometimes overly meticulous genealogy of the burgeoning world of craft beer.
