CAMRA must be very pleased. One of the trends in US beer of late is cask ale. It's popping up in surprising places and it's always a treat when it does. I had my first cask ale last year and it was an eye opening event. Cask ale is remarkably different from bottled or draught beer. It is typically lower in carbonation, served warmer than most beer and is intensely complex. If you find yourself in a bar that serves it you really must try a pint.
Recently Schlafly in St. Louis held a Cask and Cod festival where they served cask ale that they'd brewed and, you guessed it, cod. Check out the Beer Philosopher's review of the event. And the Washington Cask Beer Festival was held in Seattle recently - here's a nice round up of the event.
Recently Schlafly in St. Louis held a Cask and Cod festival where they served cask ale that they'd brewed and, you guessed it, cod. Check out the Beer Philosopher's review of the event. And the Washington Cask Beer Festival was held in Seattle recently - here's a nice round up of the event.
Comments
Thanks for the mentions Bryce! The Cod & Cask Festival at the Schlafly was my first experience with cask-conditioned ales, but it will not be my last, so help me. You hit the nail on the head when you said that cask ales are “remarkably different” than bottled and draught beers. If you’re into mining out the subleties a beer is capable of, you gotta try a good cask ale. The warmer serving temps and lower carbonation really draw the focus into the intrinsic palate and nose of the beer, without any augmentation from cold or CO2. It’s beer in the raw.
Thirteen of the country’s finest craft brewers will gather at the Matinecock Masonic Historical Society in Oyster Bay on August 22, 2009 from 1:00—5:00pm to showcase their finest cask beer. Festival attendees will be able to try samples of the cask beer from the local, award winning breweries like Blue Point Brewing Company and Black Forest Brew Haus, plus breweries hailing from California, Pennsylvania, New York State, and Massachusetts. The event will be held at the Matinecock Masonic Historical Society located at 14 W. Main Street in Oyster Bay, NY. http://www.CraftBeerFestivals.com/Caskfest
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