Book excerpt: This immaculately presented coffee table tome is the ideal gift for beer lovers and Australian history buffs alike, with summaries of all breweries that have opened and closed since colonisation in every state in Australia alphabetically listed by town, including Norfolk Island (with a location map for each state). There is acomprehensive review of the modern-day boutique breweries, and details of complex takeovers by international breweries. The book is a unique and invaluable reference for all interested in breweries, beer, Australian social history and the development of country townships. The book is comprehensively illustrated with maps, cartoons, early brewery photographs and beer labels.