The entertaining highlights and challenging low points of Roger
indispensable busy and influential career in beerWell known and admired
within the world of beer, Roger Protz has written many indispensible
books on the subject and these memoirs will provide fascinating reading
not just to his many fans but to all lovers of real ale. During his
career, he has traveled to most of the great beer-drinking nationsfrom
Britain, through Europe to Russia, Mexico, and the U.S. Starting in
Britain in the 1970s, during the early days of the Campaign for Real
Ale, he was involved from early on in the battle to save traditional
beer from giant brewers. Other significant challenges have included the
battle to save Czech Budweiser from the litigious maneuverings of the
American Bud brewery during the grim years of the 1980s; years which
started Protz's long love affair with the Czech Republic. The book also
includes entertaining anecdotes from many trips to other parts of the
world, including visits to Belgium, where Roger once stayed with monks
in a Trappist monastery to discover the secrets of their fascinating
"wild" lambic beers, made by spontaneous fermentation. In St.
Petersburg, he sought out such traditional beersas Baltic Stouts and
Porters, which are under threat from global brewers. During many visits
to the U.S. he saw for himself the microbrewing revolution bringing
taste and flavor back to a country dominated by bland national brands.
Among other experiences, he also recounts an hilarious trip on the QE2
for beer tasting afloat!"
