I like the books of Lew Bryson and have relied on them during a few family trips we have taken into the States this year. Before you call the Chidren's Aid, one thing Lew does in his guides which make them valuable from the get go is his focus on the practical so the entry in New York Breweries for beautiful Ommegang nears Cooperstown also lets you know about the Howe Caverns nearby as well as other family friendly attractions, places to eat and places to stay. If a brewery also makes pop...or is it soda... he tells you which ones are good.

He is also fairly prudent in his reviews. If a beer is not the best, he lets you know without running the place down. His two books and, I trust, the pending third, Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Breweries, take a comprehensive approach rather than just telling you about his favorites. As a result, it tracks the state of the industry while also letting you know the highlights, right down to facts like the one on page 13 of Pennsylvania Breweries, Vol. 2 about the Eternal Tap at the Straub in St. Mary's, a family operation since the 1870s. Anyone can got to the keg washing room and pour a couple of beers. No asking. Free.

Lew also runs a web site which adds dimension to his paperbacks. First, he posts updates to the books. When doing this, he adds updates rather than replaces them so that if a brewery has notes needing adding every few months they are all still there. Breweries which closed are not deleted. Again, we get a sense of the industry as it grows and changes. Next, he gives you a sense of his upcoming work with excerpts on his mid-Atlantic breweries page - he knows that the book that is scheduled for May 2005 is one that people want to know about now. [I am hoping he goes north for the Breweries of New England next.] Then, he maintains both a monthly web column and links to some of his published work in magazines and newspapers. Have a look around, there's lots more there.

All in all, a comprehensive vision of one man's relationship with malt, hops and yeast. Friendly, positive and well researched. And he answers emails.