Cask Ales

If you're going to be in one location for any length of time, try having the same cask ale in the same pub over a few nights to see what you can pick up of the day to day changes.

 

What were the best pubs you went to in London? I will be there for three days this week, then in Liverpool for the Open. Any recommendations you could offer would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers!

 

My favorite cask beer when I was in Scotland a couple years ago was Orkney Brewery's Dark Island.

 

Be aware that cask ale goes off in a relatively short space of time, so unless a place has an absolutely ridiculous turnover they're unlikely to be able to keep more than six or eight tasting at their best at once, and a lot of regular pubs will stick to somewhere between one and four (which may still be fantastic...)

 

Use this link:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-london-guide-summer-2014-update.200464/
Several of us repost this link instead of repeating the same advice over and over. Only note is that the Kernel doesn't do a tap room on Saturdays any more.

 

It's great to see cask ale appreciated over the pond when continental Europeans don't seem to get it. If you ever get the chance you need to try a barley wine/impy stout on cask. Unreal.

 

Any tips on finding some? I'll be in London in September and would love to try some.

 

It's not easy to find high ABV cask beer in UK pubs. It's normally the reserve of beer fests. Maybe someone else can jump in?

 

I'm leaving for London tomorrow with a brief side trip up to Edinburgh. Any tips not already mentioned above on good places to get a good traditional cask ale or other local specialty style (i.e., not really interested in American-style beers, I can get those here) would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

 

If you're driving to Edinburgh from London why not stop off at the beer fest in Peterborough? Over 400 cask ales. Assuming there'd be a designated driver!

 

For trad ale in London, try The Harp in Covent Garden, the Royal Oak in Borough (stick your head round the door of the George for the history, but go to the Royal Oak for the actual drinking), the Star in Belgravia, the Pride of Spitalfields in, well, Spitalfields.

The Queens Head in Kings Cross, the Craft Beer Co mini-chain and the Euston Taps are good for more hybrid stuff (American craft styles but British-ised a bit and available on cask). Edit: oh, and the Southampton Arms in Gospel Oak. A bit out of the centre, but combines nicely with a walk on Hampstead Heath.

The CAMRA Good Beer Guide (or the mobile app version) is generally good for finding decent quality cask.

 

cask ale is sublime. I have yet to find a place in the states that appreciates it and pulls a pint properly. not to mention, here you will find styles or beers on cask that imo do not belong, but people will go crazy over bc they are cask.

 

Yeah, there is definitely an epidemic of cask-as-Randall in America. Although even here in the home of real ale, I've seen styles unsuited to cask on offer. Mostly Belgian styles that can be hit or miss even in keg (as compared to bottle conditioned) produced by small UK brewers.

 

I see a lot of big american ipas 8%+ w some adjuncts tossed in a firkin. Sits on the bar and poured literally room temp and called cask. And people go bananas for it.

 

That is terrible. How can drinkers come away from that with a favorable impression of 'cask beer'?

 

I am guessing most haven't had the opportunity to enjoy a proper pint in the UK. I couldn't find a pale ale or mild on cask here if I tried. Power of suggestion I guess