Book Review - North Alabama Beer: An Intoxicating History

Me covering the book title (facepalm) with Sarah Bélanger, Kamara Bowling Davis

North Alabama Beer is a tour through the history of beer in an unexpected place: North Alabama. The book is obviously a great read for anyone living in the area, but I venture to think it will be of interest to a wider audience of beer lovers, especially anyone thinking of taking a trip to the area and touring all the breweries we have to offer. The changes Alabama has gone through, especially in the last decade are fascinating to read about and the authors have obviously gone through extensive research and held many interviews.

The first half of the book runs through the history of beer and alcohol in Alabama, from the earliest days before Alabama was a state, through prohibition (which was a lot longer here), and out through the battles Free the Hops waged to enable the sale of local craft beer - ending up with the flourishing craft beer business North Alabama has today. The second half is devoted to stories of how the individual breweries came to be. I felt a little confused because it suddenly changes format from chronological to geographical at this point. While I hope they make this transition a little easier in future editions, it's the only complaint I managed to have about the book, so it's hardly worth quibbling over.

I'm a fan of local Huntsville history, but these ladies managed to dredge up some facts about North Alabama I had never heard before. Perhaps because of the local stigma of any history that might include references to alcohol, perhaps because Bélanger & Davis are excellent researchers, as their extensive bibliography shows. Regardless, the history of beer is the history of mankind - in North Alabama as well as Egypt. Laws and dynasties alike rise and fall in relation to our relationship with booze. This very local book has a grand scope.
This is the first published book for authors Sarah Bélanger and Kamara Bowling Davis, though I doubt you'll be able to tell. They are dropping into the local book scene like:

I bought the book from them in person and my copy is personally signed. We talked about cats and how more women need to be involved in the Huntsville beer scene. Although their main promotional touring is slowing down, they can still be found around town at events selling their book. Check them out on Facebook and Instagram to see where they are going to be next. Go and strike up a cheery beery conversation!

My signed copy

And of course, buy the book! You can purchase it from them directly or find a paper or digital copy on Amazon.

Because Beer and Mushrooms

Mushrooms may be my most favorite thing to put in my mouth - and you know that's a wide statement. Recently, I ran across a recipe on the internet that combined mushrooms with beer. While I may not be quite as crazy about beer, I do love to cook with it. I simplified the recipe even more and made a batch of mushrooms that melt in your mouth.

I took 24 oz of small button mushrooms, washed them, and tossed them whole in to a wok. Other large skillets would work, too. I then added a cup of beer - this leaves a couple of ounces to just drink and enjoy while the food is cooking. For this particular venture, I choose Yellowhammer Rebellion. It's not to my taste for drinking (just a personal choice; it's a finely crafted beer), but this red ale held the perfect flavor to blend in with the mushrooms.

Turn the stove to a medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until most of the beer has cooked out. You can add other spices of course. I added 2 teaspoon of canned coconut milk and a little bit of salt. Butter is another option, but since Yellowhammer is a vegan beer, why spoil things?

Most foods cooked in beer have only a slight bittery aftertaste to them, but these mushrooms go whole hog with the beer flavor. I think Rebellion may be perfection for this but let me know about your experiements with other brands of beer.