Since the first brew by Captain James Cook and the crew of the Resolution at Dusky Sound in April 1773, the story of beer has been deeply intertwined with the history of Aotearoa – from the early settlers’ prodigious consumption of golden ale to the six o’clock swill, from prohibition to the ‘Black Budget’, from the domination of Lion and DB to the rise of craft beer. In this remarkable story of New Zealanders and beer, Greg Ryan tackles the big questions: Why did people drink and did they do so excessively by contemporary international standards? What did people drink and in what circumstances? How did tastes change over time? What role did brewers and publicans play in the community, other than as dispensers of alcohol? Richly illustrated, astute and entertaining, Continuous Ferment is both a fascinating analysis of New Zealand’s social history and a book for anyone with an enthusiasm for malt and hops, barrels and bottles, pilsners and porters.