Beer book picks up head of steam
From the Carmel Pine Cone, March 25, 2016
KATE WILCOX is pretty sure that it was “The Pine Cone bump” that put her Kickstarter campaign over the top. Just a few days after the story of her book, “The Art of Beer: ABCs of Beer, Beach Edition,” hit these pages last week, the total amount pledged rose from about $300 to more than $1,300, surpassing her goal of $1,128. The coffee table book chronicles 200 bottles of an anonymous collector’s 1,400-bottle assortment in photographs with beach backgrounds. Wilcox said the book will be out by July with an initial run of 50-100 copies printed just for her backers. She’s grateful to the readers who supported her and spread the word, and said anyone interested in the book can contact her at yulefrog.com.
KATE WILCOX is pretty sure that it was “The Pine Cone bump” that put her Kickstarter campaign over the top. Just a few days after the story of her book, “The Art of Beer: ABCs of Beer, Beach Edition,” hit these pages last week, the total amount pledged rose from about $300 to more than $1,300, surpassing her goal of $1,128. The coffee table book chronicles 200 bottles of an anonymous collector’s 1,400-bottle assortment in photographs with beach backgrounds. Wilcox said the book will be out by July with an initial run of 50-100 copies printed just for her backers. She’s grateful to the readers who supported her and spread the word, and said anyone interested in the book can contact her at yulefrog.com.
A book that's good for what ales you
By ELAINE HESSLER
What do you do with a collection of more than 1,400 beer bottles amassed over 30 years? Turn it into a coffee table book—or possibly, as Monterey author Kate Wilcox said, a “bar top book.”
Wilcox put together “The Art of Beer: The ABCs of Beer Bottle Art, Beach Edition,” a 70-page book featuring 200 bottles from the collection, and she’s trying to raise $1,128 on Kickstarter to fund its publication.
Wilcox and the collector—who Wilcox said works in Carmel and prefers to remain anonymous—collaborated to photograph and catalog every bottle. The beers are mostly craft brews, selected for their beautiful or interesting labels. They have names like “Holy Grail Ale,” which the label says was, “Tempered over burning witches.”
Others in the collection include Trout Slayer Ale, Polygamy Porter and Squatters Orphan Abbey. In case you’re wondering, the collector tasted every beer, then lovingly washed and dried the bottles.
Wilcox, who has a degree in studio art, explained that she was intrigued by “the beautiful artwork on the labels” and wanted to find a way to share the collection. “I wanted to find a way to wrap my arms around the whole thing,” she said.
She grouped and arranged the bottles alphabetically for the book, and then combined them with original photos of beach backgrounds.
The book is also indexed by brewer, country and content—for example, labels with dogs, bikes, or elves. Wilcox said that if publishing this book goes well, she envisions a possible series chronicling the entire epic collection. “It’s the kind of hobby project that could eat up your whole life,” she said jokingly.
So far, Wilcox has raised $378, and with a deadline of March 31, things aren’t looking too good for the book’s future. “I’m not great at marketing,” said Wilcox. It’s my least favorite part of the whole process.” She said she can’t change the deadline because of Kickstarter’s policies, and if she doesn’t raise the full amount, she said she’ll just pay for a small number of books for friends and family. Meanwhile, the collection continues to grow.
Learn more about the project
