Arcoroc

Author: Thomas Henry Strenk

Brooklyn-based writer specializing in all things drinkable

If you are operating a beer bar but don’t have a cask selection, you’re missing out on a big opportunity. Also called “Real Ale,” these beers are conditioned (carbonated) in the cask and dispensed via an old-fashioned hand-pumped tap. Aficionados say only cask ales deliver full, rich flavor.  Here’s what you need to know to tap into this trend.

When beer is fully fermented it’s flat. So most beer, both kegged and bottled, is carbonated with CO2 under pressure. In addition, commercial brews are filtered and pasteurized to prevent spoilage and increase storage life. In the bar, draft lines are pressurized with more CO2 to serve the beer. But increasingly more brewers, especially craft producers, are using the age-old technique of secondary fermentation in bottle or cask to carbonate and serve ale. (more…)