Book excerpt: From Belgian fruit beers to hoppy cask ales, small-production microbrews to Czech Republic lagers, this is a personal and comprehensive portfolio of international beers compiled by one of the world's leading beer writers. In this unique and beautifully illustrated collection, he has distilled decades of beer knowledge into an entertaining and indispensable guide to the ales that no beer lover should miss. The book divides beers by type, including bitters, best bitters, pilsners, brown and mild ales, pale ales, extra strong beers and bitters, old ales and barley wines, golden ales, porters and stouts, alt and amber ales, fruit beers, and beires de garde, each comprising an alphabetical listing of the beers. Many of the entries are fully illustrated, and each beer comes complete with a box panel for adding your own tasting notes. Information on the country of origin, beer strength, brewery, and a detailed description of the beer and its history are also given.