Authors Kevin Kious, Don Roussin and Henry Herbst are set to release “St. Louis Brews: 200 Years of Brewing in St. Louis” (Reedy Press, $39.95) with two events, including a discussion and signing at the Schlafly Branch Library in the Central West End. The book delivers a rich history of the more than 200 breweries that have come and gone (and stayed) since 1809, illustrated by historic beer labels, photographs and memorabilia to excite any beer geek. We caught up with the writers about their sudsy inspiration.

The book opens with the first printed reference to brewing in St. Louis, an Oct. 19, 1809, item in the Missouri Gazette. Was that what led you to trace brewing here from then to now? (Kious) Henry Herbst and I had the idea of writing a book on St. Louis brewing history 20 years ago, and Don Roussin and I were also toying with the idea … but the timing just wasn’t right. Then Hank came to us in March 2008 and proposed that we all work on the book together, with the idea of having it done by the 200th anniversary date. We all agreed that it was high time somebody wrote a book on St. Louis brewing. And it was a good thing all three of us worked on it — the task would have been overwhelming for just one person.

How did you obtain such an impressive collection of historical images and memorabilia? (Roussin) All three of us are longtime collectors of brewery advertising, called breweriana in the hobby. When we started this project, the first thing we did, naturally, was to photograph the St. Louis area signs, bottles, wooden cases, etc., in our own collections. We were also familiar with other local collectors who had items we knew we wanted pictured in the book. Besides individuals, we also received great photos from local breweries, libraries and museums. In particular, both Anheuser-Busch InBev and the Missouri Historical Society provided us with a number of memorable images.

Now that you’ve documented 200 years of St. Louis’ brewing heritage, where do you see it going next? (Kious) It would have been difficult to predict what the first 200 years of brewing in St. Louis would bring if you were standing next to John Coons when he was starting his brewery, so far be it from me to predict the next 200 years! But I do know we live in an exciting time for the brewing industry with the growth of the craft beer segment, and I can’t see that changing. We actually have brewpubs just like we did 160 years ago! The big brewers will always have a market for their mainstream styles and will brew different styles as well. I am hopeful they can all survive.