Skilnik takes readers back in time to the beginnings of an industry that once wielded tremendous influence, wealth, and power over Chicago. He goes on to describe a contemporary Chicago, where some of the biggest national breweries battle to fill the void left by the closing of the last local old-time brewery. Serving up a heady dose of brewing history, BEER takes you back to the Great Chicago Fire and the Roaring Twenties, the days of Al Capone and Prohibition. It chronicles the invasion of Chicago by Milwaukee breweries and the eventual supremacy of national beer brands in the Windy City. Much more than a timeline, BEER is a definitive but fun-to-read volume that offers a rich history of Chicago against the backdrop of its booming and ultimately doomed brewing industry. Filled with anecdotes and little-known facts, it1s a treasure for history buffs, Chicago fans, beer connoisseurs, and collectors of brewerania.