The most comprehensive guide to Britain’s many and glorious beer styles ever

...is now in my possession. 

The lovely Lisa has bought me a copy of Martyn Cornell's Amber, Gold and Black. I've got next week off so when I'm not being heroic on the hills or engaging in practical beer research I'll be reading up on the history of British beer. It's looking good already, check out the opening paragraph:

Britain is one of the world's greatest brewing nations: a fact the British themselves often seem to be unaware of. We need to be much more proud of what we have given ourselves and the world: beautiful, refreshing hoppy bitters and IPAs, golden summer ales for hot days in the garden, heady, rich barley wines, unctuous winter warmers, cheering, sociable conversation-encouraging milds, creamy, reviving black porters and hearty filling stouts, barley wines and old ales for sipping and relaxing, beers that go with food and beers that can be enjoyed on their own, beer styles born in these islands and now appreciated and brewed from San Francisco to Singapore, from St Petersburg to Sydney.

Stick that in your cold fermented, vegetable flavoured pipe and smoke it!