The new edition of the DBBB has arrived! And at a chunky 233 pages larger than its predecessor, it’s an impressive tome.
Okay, so maybe most of you are now scratching your heads and wondering, “So what the hell is the DBBB, and why should I care if it’s larger or smaller than it was?” That’s an understandable reaction, since the volume in question is still both relatively new and far less recognized than it deserves to be. Allow me, then, to make the introductions.
The rather lengthy and unwieldy full name of the DBBB is The Essential Reference of Domestic Brewers and Their Bottled Brands, which goes a long way towards explaining why the publishers like to refer to it as the DBBB. Put out by MC Basset, LLC, the new volume is the reference book’s third, and at a cost of a mere $60, shipping included, it represents outstanding value for anyone interested in what’s going on in the domestic beer scene.
The first handy guide the DBBB offers is an alphabetical listing of over 400 brewing companies operating in the United States, each entry of which lists all the company’s contact information, including website, and its major brands, plus a guide to the states in which the beer is distributed. So when the next slick-talking salesman tells you that a brand you’re interested in is not available in your market, you can whip out the book and show him or her otherwise.
After the alphabetical listing comes 100 pages of brands organized by beer style, which should go a long way towards helping you find, say, an Oktoberfest lager for the fall or Belgian-style wheat beer for summer. Then we get to the pièce de résistance, namely the index of breweries by state, included in which is a listing of all the domestic breweries distributed in each individual state. This last bit is a new addition to the third edition, and for an operator seeking to keep abreast of all the beery developments locally, it is damn close to indispensable.
(It is worth noting here that while the DBBB offers very complete information for each of the companies it features, its brewery total represents less than one-third of the national total, although it’s a safe bet that many if not most of the absent operations are brewpubs rather than production breweries.)
Next in the DBBB is a chart of brewery brands by bottle and keg size, which in my estimation is of questionable worth, and finally the brewery portfolios, complete with backgrounders and more than a few label illustrations. If nothing else, this final portion provides some interesting reading and, more practically, selling points for staff.
If you got all of this, neatly wrapped up in a hard-bound 574 pages, it would be well worth your $60, and then some. But the brewing biz being the constantly morphing entity it is, your purchase also gains you access to the DBBB’s online companion, which is updated on a regular basis. That makes for a deal the likes of which just don’t come around too often.
For more information and ordering, visit the MC Basset website.
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