Places Where Cask Ale is Regularly on Offer

So, in an article with that title accompanied by a video headline "Discover rare cask ale..." the brewery owner says point blank:

They might brew British-style cask ale (along with other styles) but it's not "British cask ale", which would be brewed in Britain. And if I heard someplace had "rare cask ale" I'd be pretty damn disappointed to find it's not "rare" at all but brewed at the facility and not imported from the UK.

I stayed out for that trainwreck "kids and pets at breweries" thread for the most part but this is really allowed by a local health department?

Sitting on a bar where food and beverages are served to the public, inches away from the beer engine's nozzle ---but as long as it is sitting on a napkin, it's cool?
(My nose is itchin' just lookin' at the pic).

 

Haha.

Of all the times I visited, I never saw the cat, or any other critters inside. Granted, my visits have been during slack hours.

Still, it’s a funny catch on your part.

 

They don't have any television or music. That's a plus. Health inspection is, shall we say not vigorous? Great views. Beer is excellent.

Overall, I'd take the cat anyday.

 

Yeah, I'll give you that. But when I leave a bar because of the TV sports and the accompanying "enthusiasm" from the patrons or annoying music on bad speakers, it doesn't leave me itching, watery eyes and sneezing for rest of the day. Instant relief!

 

The cat is sitting some paperwork. The paperwork looks like a flat box to the cat. And, as we all know, when it comes to cats and boxes; if I fits, I sits.

 

"No, sir - none of our current beers on the engines are brewed with Simcoe hops. Why do you ask?
Funny we get that question a lot. "

 

I recall having some cask ale in NYC that was in poor shape. (I drank it anyway.) The other guy at the bar asked the bartender why he poured my beer from that funny looking contraption. The bartender "educated" the man and poured him a sample. The patron took a sip, made a funny face and exclaimed, "Tastes like horse piss." It was the Fraunces Tavern, and I'd have to assume that that place has had some horses outside of it at some point. I suppose the ramifications of that were very long lasting and the palate of the patron was finely tuned to it.

 

While this thread is still active, will point out the addition of Fifth Hammer – Engine was briefly incorporated in 2020 then rekindled in 2021. However, this seems to be the first proper offering, which is unfortunately late (i.e. post from March 4th) -

…looks promising though

 

I'm not surprised.

Fraunces is legendary because of its history, and it survives primarily on that fact.

To be brutal, it sucks. Paul Revere was the last guy who had a beer from a clean draft system. At least that's the way it was when I worked Wall Street in the mid 90's. It sucked then and probably sucks now, too. So much for the good old days.

Cheers

 

It was in fact barrel-aged Secretariat piss from 1973. That patron needs to appreciate the nuances of fine ales.

 

3/19/22 - Cask at F&M:

 

…they are reputably working on another location in Ambler: “NewNewSpace” = 10th Anniversary (?)

 

Congratulations to two New England Breweries for winning the Michael Jackson Award with their cask offerings at the Great British Beer Festival this week!!!

Small Change Brewing from Somerville, MA won first place with their NEIPA 'Push the Sky Away'

And Daydreaming Brewing from Derry, NH won second place with their quadruple called 'I Waited in Line and all I got was this Damned Beer' (ha!)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgwvl8CuWjC/

 

Village Brewing in Somerville is tapping a pin of ESB tomorrow 11/22

 

Cask ale event on Thursday, January 26th at Olde Magoun's Saloon! Daydreaming Brewing of Derry NH will be pouring their first cask ales in MA with three beers available.

And it sounds like they're bring a crew from NH!

 

Visit to Blue Point Brewery taproom in Patchogue, NY, on 1/27/23. Blue Point doesn't really promote its cask offerings on its website (they might do better on facebook or instagram, which I don't follow). I went to the brewery to sample a 25th anniversary resurrection of ESB. This was a "go-to" beer for me for several years. That brew was not cask that day, and didn't have all of the mellow British ale character I remember. However, two of the three hand pumps were operating, the Oatmeal Stout and Hoptical Illusion. Both benefited greatly from the cask service. Each showed a nice head, but with an appropriate low carbonation. The temperature was right for cask too. I'm not familiar with the details of their cask service, and I'm not a stickler for any particular methods anyway. But cask is a rarity in Suffolk County, and this is a place to check out.

 

Hey all. There's a very good chance I'll be relocating to Plainfield or South Orange, New Jersey (or somewhere in between). Are their good pubs serving cask ale in that area? I'm a weirdo (like many of you) so this could tip the scale when it comes to home or neighborhood choices.

 

@M-Fox24 may be of help with this request.

 

Most places operating an engine tend to inject their cask/s with additives, while regulating – excessive – CO2

@berksowl if driving is a possibility then consider Odd Bird, who does cask-condition & maintains a clean/textbook approach. This could also be tied into the Old Ship Inn; however, they have had to dump some recent batches per yeast inaptness. Another possibility is Carton, when they have a pub ale on (e.g. ESB/Jumping Trains), so would call ahead + Augie is a Pub advocator, which is demonstrated through his English Brown Ale = “This State Needs More Pubs”

While places like Alementary & Ramstein are closer – to Plainfield or South Orange – they are more inclined to experiment with a “gimmicky cask tapping”

---

Additionally, there is an event coming up in May, if in the vicienty at that time:

• Central NJ Spring Beer Festival Tickets, Sat, May 13, 2023 at 3:00 PM | Eventbrite