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Cask conditioned ale (also referred to as real ale) is beer free of flavor-sacrificing processes and not subjected to tongue-biting CO2 to push it to the bar. All draft beer was cask-conditioned before the widespread introduction of the pressurized keg and gas cylinder.
The usual way to serve cask beer is by manually pumping it into the glass using a beer engine (a.k.a. handpump/pull). This is a simple device that clamps onto the bar comprised of a lever and cylinder. Alternatively, cask beer can be served by gravity straight out of the tap in the front of the cask. This method is commonly employed at beer festivals.
Because cask is a totally traditional product which still contains living yeast (it’s unfiltered and unpasteurized), the superiority in flavor can be readily detected. Carbonation, produced by the continued fermentation of the beer in the cask, is subtle giving more mouthfeel and allowing the full taste to be experienced. Another determining factor is temperature — cask beer should be served around 55F, slightly warmer than normal tap beers. Served too cold, flavor will be masked; serving it too warm will make the beer seem flat and less refreshing.
Cask ales need care and maintenance; they must be vented with a wooden peg called a hard spiel and then left to settle. The solid hard spile should be replaced with a soft porous spile to allow the cask to "breathe," and a tap should be driven into the keystone (the fitting on the front). The natural conditioning in the cask must be regulated as necessary by swapping around the two types of spiles. Once a cask goes on sale, a hard spile should be inserted overnight when not in use.
The one drawback is that cask is perishable. It’s the oxygen in the air that matures and ultimately stales the beer. However, a device called a cask breather’can be used to replace the pocket of air over the beer with CO2; the gas blanket shouldn’t affect the taste if used properly. Cask breathers are inexpensive and connect to a regular CO2 supply.
Living in New York City, my recommendations for local bars serving cask include Spuyten Duyvil, The Brazen Head, The Waterfront, Mugs (all Brooklyn), David Copperfield’s and The Blind Tiger (both Manhattan). Further afield, there’s Andy’s Corner Bar (Bogota, NJ), Southampton Publick House, The Albany Pump Station, The Dawson Street Pub (Philadelphia, PA), The Sharp Edge Emporium (East Liberty, PA)...I could go on and on.
Listings of cask outlets can be found at www.cask-ale.co.uk/us/ or at The Quest For Cask website http//home.comcast.net/~izandal/cask.html).
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