Off topic: Tom’s new facility sounds promising, which opens in November & is expected to “usher in the next phase of Chicago’s lager renaissance”...better suited for a regional thread On Topic: Tom gets more serious about ‘pub ales’ with firkin distribution Breakout Brewer: Art History Is Doubling Down on Lager | Craft Beer & Brewing (beerandbrewing.com) --- This was their Midlands Mild via sparkler, from about a year ago...hope to be back soon -
Yeah, well AH is no stranger to the Midwest Forum, but they still haven't grabbed my attention as much as Roaring Table -- who is also helping to lead the Lager Renaissance and has a delicious Mild Ale in their portfolio. https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/50290/633798/?ba=steveh#lists FWIW -- the brewmasters at both breweries got their starts at the same small brew-pub. Coincidence?
I have -- they're doing things right and their beer is outstanding. They brewed an ESB that was dead-on to style -- not Fuller's style, but traditional English Ale style. The Mild was terrific from cask and can -- more beers need to follow that lead. My first pours are usually from the beer engines, but I haven't bothered to ask them to remove the sparkler they always use. Maybe on my next visit I'll make a point.
Was curious about the actual spout, or gooseneck, as I believe you had an issue when fully immersed Regardless, have heard of them, but haven't put to much thought behind them: will start paying more attention...I'm intrigued
The last time I was in (about a month ago) I ordered that mild as my first pint, but I forgot to watch the pour -- I'll make it a point to ask up front the next time. While they're brewing great English styles, their German and Czech-style lagers are the sort of beers I've been looking for locally for a long time, so my focus is usually on them.
What's amazing about their beers is that they're bouncing among very traditional styles and really nailing each one. From lagers to ales. My own opinion is that they're not being pushed by the current trends and just brewing what they enjoy, so they're having fun with it and their passion shows.
Bells used to have a beer engine, and would serve beers as much as we Porter and Two Hearted on on it. It may have gone away when they remodeled for the kitchen. Grizzly Peak makes some very authentic British ales for cask dispense. The brewer is a fan of @patto1ro and brews according to his published recipes. My local brewery is Rivers Edge Brewing in Milford. They have two beer engines and usually have one or both operating, but occasionally neither are on.
I’ll likely head up to Geneva in the Spring and photo their cask engine. It’s conveniently located near the Metra stop, with Penrose my other stop a few blocks away. I can’t reach Roaring Table (Lake Zurich) via Metra, but may stop in mid May on the way back from Milwaukee. Tighthead is the other brewery somewhat near there I’m interested to visit (in Libertyville).
I have the same proximity problem with Art History. Fortunately I'm finding their packaged stuff. Tighthead is in Mundelein -- don't get off at the wrong stop! Are they cask-conditioning these days? I live right up the road from them, but I haven't stopped in for a while. Let me know when you're planning a trip.
Will do. My niece graduates from nursing school May 13, so my stay overnight on Milwaukee and hit LZ/Mundelein on Sunday, depending on car rental and hotel room options. I’m glad Art History is expanding their distribution footprint. I don’t have an issue finding Roaring Table, and glad The Beer Temple has either on a pretty regular basis, many times on cask.
…a pub with an established/long-standing reputation, and one that takes pride in being a “traditional English public house here in the United States” Bulls Head Public House (Cask Marque Accredited – VALID) Pennsylvania, USA 2xActive Beer Engines (Angram) Cask-conditioned Cask Tpped: Last Week (Both) Pub Visit: Feb. 16th, 2023 Bitter: Tiny Tim Brewery: Forest & Main Brewing Company Grains: Maris Otter, British Chocolate and Crystal Malts Hops: English ABV: 4.5% Aspirator: No Sparkler: Yes Visuals: 5 Barley Wine: Harvest Ale (Matured In Lagavulin Whisky Casks) Brewery: J.W. Lees ABV: 11.5% Aspirator: No Sparkler: No Visuals: 2 Sidenotes (Paul Pendyck + ‘Tiny Tim’): Bulls Head was initially owned through Paul Pendyck, a UK native, who still plays a “vital role:” Pendyck provides the Cask Marque validation stateside. Hence, the current status Dan discuses ‘Tiny Tim’ in the clip below, which is a near 15yr old recipe Forest & Main Brewing Co. on Instagram: “Hey everybody! Here we have Dan talking about Tiny Tim; how long we’ve been brewing it, the recipe evolution, and much much more. He even…” --- Doorway Bitter Barley Wine
***second visual is a cap that’s used between pours, which is to fend/fight off flies. This was brought up earlier in the tread, when saran wrap was used Cask NYC New York, USA 1xBeer Engines (Angram) Cask-conditioned Cask Tapped: Feb. 13th, 2023 Pub Visit: Feb. 17th, 2023 English-style Pale Ale (ESB): Mizmaze Brewery: Dutchess Ales ABV: 4.4% Aspirator: No Sparkler: No Pints: 2 (not submerged) Visuals: 9 --- ---
The place is called Cask Bar and Kitchen but they only have one beer engine? Something's literally missing or I'm missing something.
The first of two planned cask pours available at The Silver Stamp today to celebrate their 2nd Anniversary. Beachwood Hit Replay Bar Notes: $8 16 oz cask conditioned gravity keg poured into a shaker pint glass. West Coast IPA with Idaho7 and Mosiac Hops. Appearance: Murky orange golden pout, creamy bubbly bright white head. 4.25 Aroma: Tropical fruit, medium strength. Pineapple, citrus and tangerine. 4.0 Taste: Consistent with the aroma, pineapple, citrus and mild pine backing. 4.0 Mouthfeel: Nice medium dryness and solid bitterness comes out as a balance to the very sweet flavors. Drinks light and easy, no carbonation with the cask service, light dry bitterness lingers. 4.5 Overall: Calling this a modern take on the WCIPA style, very sweet with the hop combination, but this is steered in the right direction with liberal use of hop bitterness. Winner to start the day. 4.25
Well it’s snowing here, I tend to bring the cold weather wherever I go. Time for a stout. It’s very crowded for early afternoon, so didn’t interrupt the pour, but photoed the kegs earlier when there was room at the bar. The first IPA was kegged on 2/9/23 (see photo below). Beachwood Joe Long Beach Keg Notes: Coffee stout, 6.5% ABV, Employee Eric Reed, Kegged 2/2/23, 12:08 PM. Best by 6/2/23 12:08 PM. The Silver Stamp Notes: American Stout with Portola coffee. $8 draft, 16 oz draft poured into a draft glass. Appearance: Dark brown black base, no base, faint white head left like a worker at 5 PM on a Friday. 4.25 Aroma: Sharp excellent dark roast coffee, getting a lightly sweet malt in the back but coffee leads like a boss. Wonderful. 4.5 Taste: Predominantly dark roast coffee, pretty much drinking. Bitter, coffee grinds, I am enjoying, but it completely runs roughshod over the base or any other flavors. 3.75 Mouthfeel: Thin, light and easy drinking, dark roast coffee brings a high level bitterness to the proceeding, lingers on the finish. 3.5 Overall: This drinks more like a cold coffee than beer. I’m enjoying the flavor as it’s solid coffee, but this would have improved with a much lighter touch in terms of the infused coffee. Still glad I had the pint. 3.5
March is a genuine – cask dispense – advocator: Cask.On, Afternoon of Casks, NERAX…+ --- --- …hoping to add a (familiar) local mild soon
