FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Publication Month: September 2011
Publicity Contact: Craig Herman
215-567-5370
craig.herman@perseusbooks.com
“A roadmap for taste-bud adventure…anyone who prizes good beer need never go thirsty again.”
—Jane & Michael Stern, authors of Roadfood
THE GREAT AMERICAN ALE TRAIL:
The Craft Beer Lover's Guide to the
Best Watering Holes in the Nation
by Christian DeBenedetti
There are now close to 1,800 craft breweries and brewpubs in
America, and countless sophisticated craft beer bars opening almost
weekly. For the intrepid, culinary-minded beer lover, where to
begin?
From crab shacks and copper-lined brewpubs to farmhouse startups and elegant New York restaurants,
THE GREAT AMERICAN ALE TRAIL by Christian DeBenedetti (Running Press; September 2011;
Paperback; $20.00 US) leads readers on the ultimate, coast-to-coast road trip of craft beer. This ambitious
project is the first definitive guide to the worthiest places to discover and drink craft beer across the entire
United States. With over 400 destinations and suggestions for what to order in each one, it also maps out
how those beers relate to the local, national, and international beer cultures and profiles the interesting
characters behind all the great beers. By celebrating the places craft beer culture thrives—breweries, beer
bars, bottle shops, festivals and restaurants including some of the country’s highest rated eateries—this
groundbreaking new book will show readers where and how to make their own beer journeys, and what to
watch out for along the way. The big question behind this book, and the one it will answer, is: to find the
best craft beer in the land, where to go, and what to discover? What inspires these artisans, and what do
they know about beer—and life—that the intrepid author didn’t?
About the Author:
Raised on a working hazelnut farm in the Willamette Valley outside of Portland, Oregon, adventure travel and food
& drink writer Christian DeBenedetti, has worked on the staffs of Outside, National Geographic Adventure, and
Men’s Journal magazines. A dedicated beer and travel writer who was mentored by the late British beer writer
Michael Jackson, he regularly contributes to the above publications as well as The New York Times, Food & Wine,
Esquire, Departures, and many others. A 1996 graduate of Whitman College, he was the recipient of a Thomas J.
Watson Fellowship, which he used to study traditional methods of making beer in 14 European and West African
nations in 1996 - 1997. Currently he is Beer Correspondent for Food & Wine, Contributing Editor to National
Geographic Adventure, and Correspondent for Outside Magazine. He has appeared on ABC’s World News Tonight,
and ABC Nightline.
The Great American Ale Trail:
The Craft Beer Lover’s Guide to the Best Watering Holes in the Nation
by Christian DeBenedetti
Price: $20.00; Format: Trade Paperback Original, 363 pages w/index
ISBN: 9780762443758; September 2011