This is one of those books that is absolutely essential to a Canadian beer lover. Stephen's first edition became very dated - many breweries and brewpubs closed and new ones opened across the country since 1994. The first edition has historical value to reminisce about "the way it used to be", but this new edition firmly communicates "the way it is".

The second edition contains a number of valuable introductory sections: Stephen's introduction, detailing the changes since his first edition, a brief history of Canadian brewing, a glossary of beer terms, and a section describing the pairing of beer with the seasons and with food. All excellent lead-ins to the heart of the book: the brewery and brewpub reviews.

The brewery and brewpub reviews are very detailed and extensive, organized by province. Each brewery and brewpub has a separate entry, including descriptions and histories, and reviews of their available beers. The beers are rated on a star-based system, from one to four.

This book makes me want to travel. Beers such as Bear's 21st Century Champagne Ale of B.C., Alley Kat's Old Deuteronomy Barley Wine of Alberta, the unique brews of La Barberie of Quebec and the house brews of Sailor Hagar's and Spinnakers, also of B.C., entice me to embark on an exploration of my home country as Stephen has. And when my exploration of Canada takes place, this book will definitely accompany me.

This book is an excellent resource for a novice connoisseur looking to experiment with beer and looking for a starting point. This book will guide you in the right direction. And for the seasoned beer drinker, this book is a handy guide detailing the state of Canadian beer today, which will aid in further tastings and beer hunting. It did, however, possess a strong tone of reminiscence in many reviews, causing me think back and wonder about the beer days gone by.

Stephen states in his introduction that "there are a lot fewer poor-quality beers around today than there were in the mid-1990s." The brewers are getting better at their craft in Canada, and drinkers are becoming more discriminatory and demanding when it comes to their beers.

However, I noticed a trend amongst the beers that I remember being the class of Canada in the mid-1990s. They have all "lost" something. And Stephen seems to have noticed this as well - as great as the beer scene is today, I can't help but feel that "the good old days" for certain breweries and beers are over.

There is the famous Niagara Falls Eisbock, so innovative and delicious in the past, according to Stephen "was a better and more characterful beer in the early and mid-1990s." Or Upper Canada, whose Lager is "significantly less hoppy than its glory days of the 1980s" and their Dark Ale which is "similarly less assertive than in earlier days" since the Sleeman takeover in 1998. Sleeman did it again with Seigneuriale, whose flagship beer "seems to have dropped the most character." Even Unibroue, who continues to produce consistently excellent products, but their Blanche de Chambly "seems to have been toned down in recent years".

This is not a knock on Stephen's new edition, in fact it is a keen observation on the changing beer scene in Canada from the mid-90s to today. The beers we so loved in the past are not the same anymore - but they have been complemented by other beers, from breweries that have the same drive and dedication to quality that the pioneers of the industry had in the past. However, this begs the question: will the great beers of today eventually tone down in the coming years as others have in the past? We will have to wait and see.

Alas, we cannot have it all; the beers of the last decade and the new beers today would create quite a formidable beer country. But what we have today is quite delicious, and we should enjoy it.

One more comment - Stephen awarded only a single four-star rating to a beer in Canada. Any guesses which one? It is a fine beer, without question. But I will not spoil the surprise; order the book from the link below and find out for your self. There is no doubt you will find many other fine brews besides this one to keep you quenched for some time.

Stephen Beaumont's second edition of The Great Canadian Beer Guide is published by McArthur & Company. It can be purchased online at Chapters.Indigo.ca here.