Cask Ale in a Bag/Box

Maybe 15 years ago the Peoples Pint in Western Massachusetts filled my growler with some fantastic cask ale. I was surprised as some other breweries I'd asked had declined. Shit happened and I didn't get to it 'til 5 days later. It spent the 2 prior days in the frig. It was flat but was at least marginally drinkable. And I drank the whole growler dammit!

Most growlers are not real airtight, my question is: Would this be a good simple vehicle for cask beer? Treat it as we usually treat a growler, drink within 2-3 days.

 

Growler is ruthless on cask conditioned ales, so would steer clear, and conscientiously be mindful of the intent … Hand pump/freshness is best for “living beer,” and the only option pre 2020…alternatives were critiqued

• Greg Engert – “this is an experience you cannot replicate at home”
• David Liechty – “cask beer to go is usually garbage”

Nonetheless, secondary measures have been given more consideration + Track played around with “Cask Ale in a Bag/Box,” now chrome, yet still a trial/error endeavor

 

My experience with cask growlers (and I've a fair amount since my favorite brewery is 100% cask in the taproom) is you want to drink growlers the same day they're filled.
Unless you don't care about carbonation.

 

Been in a cask mood lately and all the pubs that I know do it are closed. I fully support Forest + Main and anyone who wants to make Cask more portable. I hope I get the chance to try this but if not Im moving to Idaho in the future and Im excited about Machine house.

 

(1) I’m serving it much too cold
(2) Super satisfying to pour tho
(3) I imagine it going downhill quickly if I don’t drink it fast enough
(4) Low enough ABV that drinking it fast shouldn’t be a problem
(5) Definitely gimmicky, but I don’t really care

 

Curious why you consider this gimmicky? Does it approach the experience of cask beer? Is it way off? I'm never quite sure what people mean by gimmicky. To me, putting whole commercial pastries in a beer is gimmicky, putting glitter in a beer is gimmicky, making all your beer names puns is gimmicky. Trying to create a take home cask beer experience at a time when pub drinking is limited doesn't strike me as gimmicky. But I'm curious what about it feels that way to you

 

Would you be willing to save the last pint for drinking 7 days from now. For:

 

Gimmicky just because I think their canned bitters are great way to have the beer at home, and are certainly a lot more convenient for me than a five liter box. I will say that this definitely seems less carbonated, but doesn’t seem quite like a pint at the pub to me though. (The fact that I’m storing it way too cold may be part of it.)

I’ll try to save one for tomorrow anyhow

 

Ah I see what you mean. I don't have a strong feeling about cask.but some folks take it real seriously so I just assume that stuff like this is an attempt by those cask fanatics to recreate that experience at home. I think I tend to ascribe more criticism to the word gimmick than many people intend

And ya, I'd say storing cold is a big no no since I always thought cask meant the beer was flat AND warm

 

A local shop offered them for a short while. Regular co2 tap, not cask.

 

Drinking the last half liter now after opening it Saturday afternoon (and who knows how many days after it was packaged). Definitely tastes a little lackluster in comparison to a couple days ago, but it’s still very drinkable.

I don’t think this is as good an experience as a pint on cask at the pub — and wouldn’t really call it better than cans either — but it was definitely fun to try. Pouring a glass from the box is much more satisfying than from from a can or bottle.

 

Wow, you described this beer as "a little lackluster" after only 2 days from tapping. I was not expecting that.

Thank you for reporting here!

Cheers!

@jmdrpi

 

Of course a proper experiment would be to get two boxes and open the second a few days after the first so you can try them side-by-side. I’ll leave that one to others.

 

Count me as one who’s never ever had a cask beer.

 

Back in the 20's your local drug store would sell you brew in cardboard boxes or whatever container you could bring. The mini kegger was popular in NJ in the eighties. I bought several myself, usually German or dutch beer-

 

That person would likely get a nickname such as Arthur 'Two Boxes' Jackson!?!

Cheers!

 

The 1920's? So, near beer during Prohibition.
Yeah, they were desperate to get rid that stuff anyway they could.

In the '60s, too - a local product back then, tho'.

 

I don't think it was "near beer" probably 5% or so. I am not an octogenarian so I can only relate what some old timers have told me.

 

I vaguely remember hearing something about pharmacies being able to sell alcohol during prohibition for “health reasons,” but always assumed they were selling booze, not beer.