Taming of the Brew

Mark Denny is a man who loves beer. He understands its history and finer points. He brews it at home by hand. And the native Englishman would delight in sharing a beer with anyone who shares his passion—just don't offer him a Miller Lite.

"My only objection to macroswill," Denny tells Gelf, "is that the macrobreweries call their product 'beer'. It was, once, but today they should maybe relabel it 'rice beer' or 'near beer' or something." Mass production and an eye on the bottom of line has taken what Denny refers to as "the elixir of life" in the glossary of his book Froth!: The Science of Beer and turned it into a cheap imitation. Just leave out a glass of big-name brew, Denny instructs in a footnote, and after the cold temperature and artificial carbonation have worn away, you can taste the metallic aftertaste and artificial off-flavors that lie at its core.