FAQs
How big are your books?
Standard “33” books are perfectly pocket-sized - just 3.5 inches wide and 5 inches tall, about the size of an index card, and at about 1/8" thick, they’re 25% thinner than an iPhone.
My 33 1/3 series of books (33 Cigars, 33 Champagnes and 33 Beers: Professional Edition) are a little taller - 5.75 inches tall. Think of it as 15% more, free!
My logbooks for making beer, cider and roasting coffee are 5 inches wide and 7 inches tall. I also have a cheese-making notebook!
Is this thing water ... er ... beer-proof?
For most of my books the answer is, “Sadly, no.” They’re printed on really nice recycled paper with hand-set type printed in American-made soy ink, though. A finer notebook has never spilled on or in.
33 Beers: Professional Edition is printed on a special beer- (and water-) proof paper made of the same stuff gallon milk jugs are made of. It’s called HDPE, and it's 100% recyclable should you tire of it. Should you not tire of it, the “paper” is archival and will probably outlast you!
Is there really beer/cheese/frosting/etc. in the ink?
Photos or it didn't happen, right? Here’s one of yours truly adding a little frosting to the ink on 33 Doughnuts on press.
Can you print your books with my logo on them?
Absolutely. Every custom project is a little different, so the best way to start is by getting in touch and we can chat.
Can I carry these in my shop?
Yes! I figured out a long time ago it’s much easier to send a person 100 books than to send 100 people 1 book, and I love seeing my things in cool stores around the world. Get in touch and I can get you all set up.
Of course you think your books are good. But are there credible third-party reviews?
33 Beers, my first book, has been reviewed by loads of bloggers, as well as some members of the traditional media. Alan McLeod is proprietor of “A Good Beer Blog.” He said, “This is one of the best made, well organized, function appropriate objects I have ever seen. It is a can opener in an age when there were no can openers. It is a shoe to those who never had shoes.” No really, he did.
Beervana’s Jeff Alworth calls it “a very groovy beer journal.” Far out, man. Lots of other bloggers enjoyed the book, too. See also: Brewvana, Brewpublic, Appellation Beer, Craft Austin, Its Pub Night and a little gadget blog caled Uncrate. E-Newsletter Tasting Table called 33 Beers “genius,” if you take one word out of one sentence of their review and put quotes around it.
I was also on NPR’s Morning Edition, which was amazing and terrifying all at once.
Why “33”?
This whole thing started way back in 2009 with my beer-tasting notebook. A 32-page book with a cover wrapped around it seemed a good size: enough space for reviews, but not so thick you’d feel you were sitting on a brick. As I was figuring things out, I decided I wanted to offer a three-pack of books, but 96 Bottles of Beer Reviews just didn't have the same ring as ... 99!
99 Bottles of Beer on the wall ... 99 Bottles of Beer ... *
The title makes a little less sense now that there are cheese, chocolate and cigar versions (among others), but I like the way it looks.
* If you don't know this song, it’s a silly song many native English speakers learn when they are young. It’s extremely repetitive/annoying, which is why I loved it when I was about six years old.
Have you ever thought of making an app?
I made my first website back in 1997 (Netscape!), and worked in interactive design for almost 20 years making websites, emails and apps. Apps are definitely on my radar, but I’m not interested in making a “33” app at the moment. For one, it’s an entirely different, advertising sales-based business that I’d have to market and support. I’m pretty busy as it is, and after a long career in digital, I like paper and ink for both the personal change, but also aesthetic reasons. Sitting in a bar with friends checking in on apps is antisocial in a way that jotting a few notes down just isn't.
You should totally make a 33 ________ book!
That is not a question, but the good news is that I might already be working on it. I’m most likely to be working on review notebooks for things you eat or consume.
(I once considered making a book called "33 Oil Changes" but better judgement (aka my wife) prevailed.)
33 Bowls of Ramen, 33 Tacos, 33 Pizzas and a whole lot of others are already on my list and in somewhat active development. Sign up for the newsletter to be the first on your block to know when new books debut.
What about ... you know ... 33 Buds, man?
Oregon - where I live and work - legalized recreational marijuana in 2015. It’s definitely something I am considering, but ideally, I’d like the product being covered not to be (federally) illegal when I publish it. Vote.
When I'm not making tasting tools, I volunteer as a structural and wildland firefighter in the small town where I live. In that vocation, recreational drug use is not allowed. If I were ever to be involved in an accident, a drug test would be the second thing on the investigator's to-do list (after making sure I was okay, of course). Rules around that have changed in a few jurisdictions, but for the moment, not here.
There’s a slightly different angle to consider here, too. While flavor is an important part of marijuana consumption (or so I’ve heard, Mom), there’s an experiential component that makes it a bit different from my other books.
But it is something I’m thinking about, and I'm sure I'll get to it one day.
Do you print these yourself?
Sort of. I’m mostly a designer, but I do some printing, too. My standard books are printed by my good friends at Scout Books. My “33 1/3 series” of books and tasting maps are printed at B&B Printing. Packaging is mostly done by Alliance Packaging.
I silkscreen my Portland doughnut maps in-house, as well as my t-shirts. My tasting sets mostly start out as being silkscreen-printed by me using standard boxes and/or cardboard I laser-cut in my studio.
When I get tired of printing packaging myself and I see that there is sufficient demand to justify it, I generally ask my friends at Alliance Packaging to take over printing my packaging.
I also do letterpress printing in-house for my various prints. This started as a kind of Covid hobby, and now it's a pretty big part of how I spend my days! I have three presses: a Vandercook No. 1 Proof Press, a Golding Jobber no. 6, and a Chandler and Price Old Style 12x18.
I am a fan of social media, and your product line.
That is also not a question, but I would be delighted if you became a fan of 33 Books Co. on Facebook or increased my ego meter by following me on Twitter. I don't tweet much, but when I do, it’s powerful. I am much more active on the Instagram.
Can you donate some books to my organization?
Maybe! I love supporting registered non-profit groups whose mission aligns with my own interests (firefighting, arts, education, agriculture, food ...), especially when those groups are close to my home in Oregon. If you think that's you, drop me a line and let's talk!
