My friends and I were just talking about how it’s starting to feel like beer weather again. Although I’m not a beer drinker at all- in fact I have trouble finishing a whole pint sometimes- I do love tasting sips of the different kinds of beers my boyfriend drinks and choosing preferences. In perfect timing Joe McLaren’s newest little book Beer arrived to teach me about the seven varieties of ale. As always Joe’s illustrations are super adorable and the book is beautifully executed. It comes in a foil-stamped brown cardboard envelope and is all handmade. On one side of each spread is a description of the ale and the opposite page has a two (or more) color printed illustration. Joe’s style reminds me of the illustrations of the 50’s and 60s that I cherish and they each have a bit of humor to them. I also like that Joe’s books teach you interesting things while still being nice objects. You can check out more of Joe’s work on his website here and flickr page here. You definitely should pick up a copy of this limited edition of only 25 if you are a beer drinker (or if you love his drawings as much as I do) right here. Also if you missed his last book I posted about a while back you can pick that one up here too. Thanks Joe- I look forward to seeing what you’ll do next!

© Julia Rothman 2007