WHAT IS CASK ALE?

Cask-conditioned beer, often referred to as ‘real ale’, is brewed from only traditional ingredients and allowed to mature naturally. It is not just a form of dispensing.

The unfiltered, unpasteurized beer still contains live yeast, which continues conditioning the beer in the cask (known as ‘secondary fermentation’); this process creates a gentle, natural CO2 carbonation and allows malt and hop flavors to develop, resulting in a richer tasting drink with more character than standard keg (‘brewery-conditioned’) beers.

Real ale is always served without any extraneous gas, usually by manually pulling it up from the cellar with a handpump (also known as a ‘beer engine’). This is the traditional way of brewing and serving beer.

The only place in the world where cask-conditioned beer is still commonly available is Britain.

SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT CASK ALE IS “WARM AND FLAT”. THIS DEFINITELY IS NOT THE CASE.

A cask ale is ideally served between 54-56 degrees – cool, but not chilled like keg beers – and should have a noticeable natural carbonation from the secondary fermentation in the cask.