New Rare Book on brewing

With the grand opening looming of the Department of Viticulture and Enology Teaching and Research Winery and the August A. Busch III Brewing and Food Science Laboratory, the General Library at the University of California, Davis reflected on how it too could celebrate the momentous event and showcase the wonderful collections that the library holds.  Axel Borg, Wine and Food Librarian and Daryl Morrison, Head of Special Collections selected a rare book for purchase: William Y-worth’s (Yarworth’s) Cerevisiarii comes; or, the new and true art of brewing illustrated by various examples in making beer, ale, and other liquors, so that they may be most durable, brisk and fragrant; and how they may be so ordered as to yield the greatest quantity of spirits in distillation…. London: J. Taylor & S. Clement, 1692.

This book is a rare first edition of Y-Worth’s early study of English beer providing an account of the “right way” to refine and bottle beer and cider.  The book was not previously held by the University of California system and is to be found only in a few libraries in the country.   The purchase and cataloging of the book was rushed so that it could make its appearance in the Art Sensory Building along with other rare 16^th and 17^th century books from the Department of Special Collections.  Daryl Morrison and Rare Book Librarian John Sherlock provided the display and responded to questions as well as featured bibliographies on selected rare books on wine, beer, and distillation held by Special Collections.  Questions about the library’s holdings in rare books and a request for the bibliographies may be made by contacting: speccoll@ucdavis.edu