You're about to be introduced to the umami factor: the secret to sensational custom-made beverages, including spirits, wine, beer, soft drinks, and more. Chances are you have never heard of umami, the taste impression created by certain amino acids in a food or beverage. This book reveals the wonders of umami to beginner and expert alike, starting off with a thorough understanding of "full-spectrum" fermentation theory, then dives into the various preparation techniques and shows how umami-producing ingredients create beverages with sensational balance and roundness on the palate, tongue, nose, and even throat. More than 75 recipes, sharp insight, and handy tips help both amateur and professional fermentation chefs conquer the next frontier in beverage science. AUTHOR: Robert Rivelle George is an award-winning brewer and vintner with more than 40 years of experience with the fermentation arts. A student of University of California Davis programs on Advanced Home Brewing and Microbrewery Operation, Mr. George has built four home breweries over the years that have provided a constant source of fermented delights. Mr. George is the author of hundreds of analyses and reports for high-technology industries. As a consultant with Dun and Bradstreet and Gartner Group, Mr. George provided Global 1000 corporations with enterprise-management software selection services. He received an MBA with a concentration on market research from San Jose State University. As numerous consumers of his products have consistently applauded the results, Mr. George has been persuaded to commit the lessons he's learned in the pursuit of the perfect beverage to the public record, in the hope that the magical pursuit of fermentation science will be vigorously pursued, and the knowledge of transcendent consciousness kept alive. 242 colour photographs