Rule Britannia still holds true, at least in one beer magazine

Browsing at the magazine shelf at Barnes & Noble last week, I came across a cover that was impossible to resist, even at $14.99: “Craft Beer – 365 Best Beers in the World.” Inside, it’s well designed, has appealing art work, and contains interesting, often even compelling, articles and interviews. The authors, two Brits, have impeccable credentials, but their sampling and travel budgets much have been small because of the 365 “best beers” some 200 are from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This seems, at best, something between disingenuous and dishonest. In the “welcome” section, they proudly write that this collection represents “about as close as it gets” to a list of the best beers in the world. The U.S. is included, but it’s a far, distant second, with 70 some selections. Belgium has the third most choices, and the rest were parceled out between Germany and 15 or so other countries. U.S. craft beer devotees will immediately notice the absence of such stalwarts as Bell’s Hopslam, North Coast’s Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, and Russian River’s Pliny the Younger, or the Elder. The authors and I do agree on a couple of matters, including the naming of the Westvleteren 12 as the world’s best beer. And, I learned that the Brits have some great names for their beers, including the Bloody ‘Ell Blood Orange IPA, the Dark Side of the Moose porter/stout, and the audacious Tactical Nuclear Pigeon, a 32% ABV (yes, that’s correct!) strong ale put out by the crazy folks at BrewDog. Still, the $14.99 would have been better spent on some good American beer.