Martyn Cornell

Martyn Cornell is one of the world’s foremost beer historians, widely recognized for his deep and engaging explorations into the roots and evolution of British beer styles. With more than four decades of writing experience—spanning newspapers, magazines, and digital platforms across the UK, Middle East, and Far East—Martyn has earned a global reputation for his meticulously researched and richly told stories about beer. He began writing about beer in 1980 and has since become a leading authority on the topic, particularly the history of British brewing. He is the author of Beer: The Story of the Pint (2003), a landmark work that helped rekindle interest in the origins of English beer, and Amber Gold & Black: The History of Britain’s Great Beer Styles (2010), widely regarded as a definitive text on the subject. Martyn’s interest in beer was perhaps destined from birth—he was born on the site of the former Upper Flask pub in Hampstead, North London, and went to school in a former coaching inn once visited by Samuel Pepys. His first pint, enjoyed as a teenager in a Kentish pub garden, opened his palate to the boldness of hops and launched a lifelong journey that has taken him from Norwegian taprooms to Brazilian beer halls and everywhere in between. Outside the beer world, Martyn is a devoted family man, music lover, and die-hard supporter of Queens Park Rangers Football Club. But it’s his love of beer—what he once coined “zythophilia”—that has led him to become a founding member of the British Guild of Beer Writers, where he has earned eight Guild awards, including Beer Writer of the Year and Beer Blogger of the Year. Martyn continues to chronicle the stories of beer and brewing through his popular blog, Zythophile, and remains an essential voice in the global beer conversation. Scroll down for a full list of Martyn’s stories. Contact Martyn: Email us Connect with Martyn Cornell:

🌐 Zythophile blog (zythophile.co.uk)
📚 Martyn Cornell’s Amazon Author Page
🐦 Twitter / X: @zythophiliac
✍️ British Guild of Beer Writers Profile

Actually, the “Hymn to Ninkasi” Is Not a Beer Recipe

The Hymn to Ninkasi has long been hailed as the world’s oldest beer recipe—but modern scholars say we may have…
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A Trip Around the World in 80 Beers

Martyn Cornell’s new book, ‘Around the World in 80 Beers,’ represents a “trip from one side of the planet to the…
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The Inspiration Behind America’s First Craft Brewery

When Jack McAuliffe opened his one-and-a-half-barrel brewery on Eighth Street East in Sonoma, California in the spring of 1977, after…
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Everything You Need to Know About Guinness

Discover the rich history and diverse flavors of Guinness, from creamy stout in Ireland to Foreign Extra Stout in Africa…
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Craft Beer in Mallorca

One of the big benefits of the global craft beer boom is that it is now possible to go on…
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The Complete Truth About the Origin of India Pale Ale (IPA)

Because of its popularity, most craft drinkers know – or think they know – how India Pale Ale began. Trouble…
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The Difference Between Porter and Stout

Historically a stout was simply a strong version of porter. Today the difference is whatever you want it to be.
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Literary Beer: Brewing in the Classics

Great novelists did not just write about strong beer. Take James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” for example, undoubtedly one of the great…
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Schlitz: How Milwaukee’s Famous Beer Became Infamous

The disastrous effect of deciding to reduce product quality salami slice by salami slice is now known in business circles…
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