Books for the Beer Lover in Your Life.

Through vintage photographs, Narragansett Brewing Company chronicles the fascinating history, tragic fall, and exciting rebirth of this local icon.

Narragansett Brewing Company was developed in 1890 by German American descendants in Cranston. Taking advantage of an underground aquifer, the company also made ice for thousands of customers. During Prohibition, the brewery continued to make and deliver ice, as well as a type of soda. After the repeal of Prohibition, the Haffenreffer family purchased the brewery and began recalling previous workers to help restore the brewery and bring it to the highest production rate ever. After World War II, advertising manager Jack Haley shifted the company focus to hospitality with the now famous slogan, ""Hi Neighbor, Have a 'Gansett!"" Before long, Narragansett was the number one beer in New England. Through vintage photographs, Narragansett Brewing Company chronicles the fascinating history, tragic fall, and exciting rebirth of this local icon.

Since before Patriots like Paul Revere and Sam Adams fermented a revolution in smoky Beantown taverns, beer has been integral to the history of Boston. The city issued its first brewing license in 1630, and breweries like Haffenreffer Brewery and American Brewing Company quickly sprung up. This heady history took a turn for the worse when the American Temperance Movement championed prohibition, nearly wiping out all of the local breweries. In 1984, the amber liquid was revitalized as Jim Koch introduced Samuel Adams craft brews to the Hub and the nation. Shortly after, Harpoon Brewery emerged and became the largest brewery to make all its beers in New England. From the planning of the Boston Tea Party over a pint at Green Dragon Tavern to the renaissance of the burgeoning craft brewing scene, join author and "Beer Nut" Norman Miller as he savors the sudsy history of brewing in the Hub.

The history of the frothy beverage in Connecticut dates back to early colonists, who used it to quench their thirst in the absence of clean drinking water. So integral was beer to daily life in the colony that government officials and militiamen congregated in taverns like the General Wolfe to talk laws and business over pints of ale. Over the next two centuries, the number of breweries rose and then declined, especially after Prohibition. It was not until the 1980s that homebrewers brought this vital Nutmeg State tradition back to life, hatching the likes of New England and Cottrell Brewing Companies, as well as brewpubs including City Steam and Southport Brewing. More recently, small operations with one or two people, such as Relic and Beer'd, are changing the landscape again. Connecticut beer writer Will Siss introduces readers to the hardworking people who keep the breweries and beer bars inviting and the hoppy history alive.

Brewing in New Hampshire explores the fascinating history of the state's beer and ale brewing industry from Colonial days, when it was home and tavern based, to today's modern breweries. The book's many unusual and rare illustrations document the state's earliest brewers, including its most famous brewer, Frank Jones. Many lesser-known breweries that operated here are also covered, including the state's only brewery to be owned and operated by a woman before the modern era. The book concludes with a look at the craft-brewing business in New Hampshire and is a must for anyone interested in local history or for those who simply enjoy a good New Hampshire beer and wonder how it all began.

Vermonters love all things local, so it is no surprise that the Green Mountain State has had a thriving craft beer scene for more than 20 years.

Early Vermont brewers faced a strong uphill struggle however, as a state-imposed alcohol prohibition began in 1852, and continued well after the ending of federal prohibition. Conditions remained unfavorable until Greg Noonan, founder of Vermont Pub & Brewery, championed brewing legislation that opened the door for all breweries and pubs in the 1980s. About the same time, the now beloved Catamount also began brewing, and Vermont's craft beer scene exploded. Years ahead of the rest of the country, local favorites like Hill Farmstead, Long Trail, and Rock Art Brewing have provided world-class beer to grateful patrons. From small upstarts to well-recognized national brands like Magic Hat and Harpoon, Vermont boasts more breweries per capita than any other state in the country. With brewer interviews and historic recipes included, discover the sudsy story of beer in Vermont.

Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but its brewing history packs a mighty punch. In the 1600s, Sergeant William Baulston opened up his public house in Providence, providing New Englanders with one of the first spots to imbibe homebrewed beer. Prohibition sank many operations, but Narragansett Brewery reemerged and continues to serve its signature lager. Today's growing number of craft brewers, including Foolproof and Grey Sail, are claiming Little Rhody for the beer renaissance. With a sudsy spirit of adventure and even some beer-infused recipes, the ladies behind TwoGirlsOneBeer.com present the rich, proud story of brewing in the Ocean State.

In 1859, the legendary Frank Jones Brewery was founded in Portsmouth, paving the way for the booming craft beer scene of today. The surge of budding breweries is bringing exciting styles and flavors to thirsty local palates and neighborhood bars from the White Mountains to the seacoast. Join beer scholars and adventurers Brian Aldrich and Michael Meredith as they explore all of the tastes New Hampshire beer has to offer. They've scoured the taps at Martha's Exchange, peeked around the brew house at Smuttynose and gotten personal with the brewers behind Flying Goose and Moat Mountain. Discover, pint for pint, the craft and trade of the state's unique breweries, from the up-and-comers like Earth Eagle and Schilling to old stalwarts like Elm City and Portsmouth Brewery.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Maine was a stronghold for the temperance movement, but the Pine Tree State emerged from Prohibition to create a beer culture that rivals any other in the United States. Early pioneers, like D.L. Geary, established the Northeast's love affair with English-style ales, and today's upstarts brew unique and inventive recipes. Maine brewers create beer for every palate, and Maine's unique flavors--like blueberries, potatoes and even oysters--are frequently featured. Maine beer expert Josh Christie discovers the story of brewing in Vacationland by exploring Maine's large breweries, like Shipyard; its local crafters, like Rising Tide; the budding cider, spirits and mead industries; and, of course, the best places to drink across the state.

Maine was once a national leader in the temperance movement to outlaw alcohol. In the last 30 years, however, the Pine Tree State has been equally influential in the craft beer movement. Since 1986, when David and Karen Geary opened New England's first microbrewery, more than 50 breweries have opened in Maine. The state not only ranks among the top 10 for breweries per capita, it also boasts two of the 50 largest craft breweries in the country. The personalities and visions of the brewers are as diverse as the beers they create. Some have opened their breweries in the hulking mill complexes of Lewiston and Biddeford or the former factories of Portland. Others have brewed at the scenic mountain resorts of Sugarloaf and Sunday River or on the quaint, historic wharves of Belfast and Kennebunk, and even on distant Monhegan Island. Farmstead breweries have sprung up from Skowhegan to Lyman, while the state's industrial parks are no less fertile.