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If you haven’t been too naughty this year you may want to update your letter to Santa. There are three exciting new beer books on store shelves as well as some timeless classics that always seem to be cheap this time of year.

• Cheers! A History of Beer in Canada — Many consider Nicholas Pashley’s first book, Notes On a Beer Mat, a classic. In this, his sophomore effort, Pashley embeds himself in Canada’s growing craft beer culture as he zigzags across our great nation incorporating Canadian beer’s past and present with conversations with fellow pub goers as he soaks up our bubbling beer scene.

Pashley breaks up Canada’s breweries into regions, including Alberta. He also calls one of Calgary’s hidden gems — the Hop in Brew — one of the finest pubs in Canada. (Note from the writer: The owner of the Hop in Brew doesn’t want your business and hates it when his establishment is written about. He doesn’t want you to go there and has repeatedly told me this after I write about his place. That said, mid-week pizzas and pints are the sensible way to check out this un-publican’s pub, as Fridays and Saturdays are crazy busy.)

• Hops and Glory: One Man’s Search for the Beer that Built the British Empire — This is not really a beer book, rather it’s more of a history-humour-travel book. Pete Brown retraces the historic route of India Pale Ale (IPA) from Britain to India. Brown openly admits he isn’t a beer writer but a writer of beer’s sociology. His first book, Man Walks into a Pub, is the story of how alchohol and the pub shaped England’s history. Hops and Glory mimics this tone on a boat to India.

The book features classic Brown wit, with anecdotes about Brazilian prostitutes, brewers and various ethnic boat crews on his almost formidable mission of taking a cask of beer on this long journey. This book also shows the harshness of British rule in India. Sadly, Hops and Glory makes it clear that IPA, so loved by British expats and North Americans, wasn’t available to the Indians. Small wonder there are no Indian examples of the beer available globally.

Brown’s book is great escapism, but make sure you have a good selection of IPA nearby when you read it.

• Good Beer Guide Belgium — This is the sixth guide from Tim Webb, who has made a career of writing about Belgium — one of the world’s greatest brewing nations. Unlike most beer guide writers, he doesn’t endlessly enumerate the cornucopia of flavours beer has to offer. Rather, the star in Webb’s writing is his witty, comedic look at all aspects of Belgium. Included in this gem is information on almost every Belgian beer, brewery and brewery tour, as well as Belgian café reviews. It provides essential insights into the history, culture, economics and marketing of Belgian beers. Whether you are planning a trip to Belgium, or just have a fermenting interest in the country’s amazing beers, the guide is extremely informative and is a great resource tool for even the most well-cellared bièrophile.

This is also a good time for those who don’t have bookshelves bursting with beer books. The writings of the world’s most famous beer and whisky scribe, Sir Michael Jackson, and Canada’s most prolific beer writer, Stephen Beaumont, always seem to be on sale and are great buys for those with even a passing interest in beer.

This holiday season don’t just drink beer, drink in its history and its stories.