“Any author who can talk his publisher into paying him to drink his way across America deserves to be taken seriously. And sure enough,  Travels with Barley is a joy. “

                      —Michael Lewis, author of Liar’s Poker and Moneyball
Text Box: Travels with Barley is a brisk, literate narrative through the precincts of the beer makers, sellers, drinkers and thinkers who collectively drive the mighty River of Beer onward. The heart of the book is a journey along the Mississippi River, from Minnesota to Louisiana, in a quixotic search for the mythical Perfect Beer Joint—a journey that turns out to be the perfect pretext for viewing America through the prism of a beer glass. Along the river, you’ll visit the beer bar once owned by the brewer, Al Capone; glide by The World’s Largest Six Pack; and check into Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel to plumb the surprisingly controversial question of whether Elvis actually drank beer. Text Box: More praise for Travels with Barley… “The journey in search of The Perfect Beer Joint goes down smooth. You’ll learn a lot...and...Wells writes with wit.” —The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Deep down, all guys are searching for Perfect Beer Joint. Ken Wells has grasped the principles: a pint to procrastinate; don’t drink to forget—drink to remember. Travels with Barley is a keen elucidation of beer and the passions that surround it, and Wells digresses with flair.” —Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter “This account of journeys through the soft beer belly of America exudes that expansive happiness of a guy who is truly enjoying his bottle of brew.” —Booklist “Wells is a literate and entertaining guide in what proves more a travel book than anything else.” —The South Florida Sun Sentinel “Thoreau said, ‘The tavern will compare favorably with the church.’ Following this premise rather closely, Wells searches for his preferred house of worship: “The Perfect Beer Joint’...Wells's storytelling abilities complement his journalist's eye for stats and facts, making this a humorous, lively and informational tour.” —Publisher’s Weekly “Some of the best writing in any newspaper...is published in the Wall Street Journal and Wells is one of its stars. He flexes his journalistic muscles quickly in this book.” —The Baton Rouge Morning Advocate “A witty and informative narrative.” —New Orleans Times-Picayune Wells is a "worthy explicator of beer's whys and wherefores," sniffing out tales from "the mahogany ridge." —Kirkus Reviews “Ken Wells is the engaging Everyman of beer...but his quest delivers more than beer: Travels with Barley is a perceptive and affectionate essay on everyday American culture through the lens of a beer glass. —Julie Johnson Bradford, editor, All About Beer magazine “Finally, a beer book that doesn’t labor over beer styles and mind-numbing tasting notes. Wells has written a witty, informative, easy-to-read book.” —Gregg Glaser, associate editor, Yankee Brewing News In a sea of dull beer books, “interesting stuff.” —The Idaho Statesman “Wells belongs in the beer guy’s Hall of Fame.” —The Montreal Gazette “A fun and easy read...Wells is a companionable storyteller...If you know of any beer fans, this would be a good gift.” —Doug Brown, Powells Books Review-a-Day “Wells has a nice touch and brings gentle humor and innate friendliness to his quest.” —The Miami Herald “Steinbeck would be impressed.” —The Denver Post “A sprightly, compelling, sociological description of the River of Beer.” —The Baltimore Sun “The beer book of the year...An engaging and illuminating travelogue.” —John Foyston, The Portland Oregonian HOME Text Box: “A great book!” —Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha

                           About the title…

       Travels with Barley pays homage to John Steinbeck’s 1961 American  classic, Travels with Charley, in which Steinbeck crisscrossed the country  in a pickup/camper for  10,000 miles with his pet standard poodle, Charley. In his passage from Texas to Louisiana to observe efforts to integrate schools in New Orleans,  he drove through my hometown, ruminating in the book about the  world-class martinis made by a local doctor friend  of  his named T.I. St. Martin. Dr. T.I., as he was known locally, himself had written a lovely little novel about turn-of-the-century Cajun mores called “Madam Toussaint’s Wedding Day.”  That book, and Steinbeck’s stunning body of work, both supplied much inspiration to the author in his early  writing efforts. Thus, as I contemplated my beer explorations, the pun upon Travels with Charley was irresistible.

—Ken Wells

But the trip also includes numerous detours up quirky tributaries, among them: to an Extreme Beer maker in Delaware with ambitions to make 50-proof brew; to the murky world of beer-yeast rustlers in California; to the portals of ultimate beer power at the Anheuser-Busch plant in St. Louis, where making the grade as a Clydesdale draught horse is harder than you might imagine.  Entertaining, enlightening, and written with Wells’ trademark verve, Travels with Barley is a perfect gift--not just for America’s 84 million beer enthusiasts but for all discerning readers of flavorful non-fiction.