A review by jabarkas
Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out by Josh Noel

4.0

Man this was a great read. When I first started it, I didn't necessarily expect to get anything much out of it. I knew the story I thought. Bud buys Goose. Greg Hall pees in a cup at Bangers & Lace. Some of the beer gets shitty, but the stuff they sell in big bottles stays awesome. Turns out, all of that stuff is true, and I did already know it. It also turns out that there was so much more to the story. So much so that the endlessly fascinating context provided by this book feels like it barely scratches the surface, and it's some of the deepest and best reporting I've ever read. Noel captures the personal and political aspects of one of the most fascinating industrial sagas of the 21st century in enthralling detail, and opens up the world in a way I really hope more people take the time to read and understand.

Would strongly recommend to anyone interested in beer, industrial politics, or Chicago history.