North America calling

For some reason Canada has attracted my attention again. Don’t ask me why. Maybe it was that email asking about an historic Canadian recipe.

You won’t believe how much half-digested information is hanging around in both my head and computer. So many things I’d like to write about, if only I could be fully arsed. Like that article on brewing in London from the 1874 edition of Der Bayerische Bierbrauer. A long and fascinating article with just one little drawback: it’s in German and I’d need to translate it.

Then there are the bound editions of brewing periodicals. I’ve loads of them, mostly unexcavated. I’ve done no more than dip into a couple from periods I have a particular interest in. Maybe when I’ve retired and get bored watching daytime TV I’ll get around to looking through them thoroughly.

But some stuff I’ve neglected because I’m trying to keep focus. It’s not easy and requires iron discipline on my part. And discipline, well, that’s never been my thing. I’ve accumulated various bits and pieces about North American brewing over the years. Not consciously, for the most part. Though that may change. Will change.

This month I’ll start actively harvesting American brewing records. Something I’d hoped someone would do for me. But, you know, people are lazy gits, in general. Even lazier than me. So I’ll be doing it myself.

Why, you might ask. I have my reasons.

There was a point during the writing of The Homebrewer’s Guide to Vintage Beer that the manuscript included several North American beers. But I removed them after I decided which book I wanted to write next: The Homebrewer’s Guide to American Vintage Beer.

Now that’s decided I just need to do the research. And write it. Oh, and find a publisher.