The World's First Beverage- 2nd Annual Manhattan Cask Ale Fest

“The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with beer.”
-Egyptian proverb, C 2200 BCE

I found this quote in a book by a fellow named Tom Standage. The book is called The History of the World in Six Glasses and it traces the development of six beverages through different epochs of human history. The reason I bring it up is because the book thoroughly explores the origins—and supposed origins—of beer. Origins that, Standage says, are “closely intertwined with the origins of civilization itself."

While this statement may seem a bit outlandish, it makes sense when you break it down. All alcohol was discovered by accident; grapes left too long turned into wine, honey left too long (when mixed with some water) turned to mead, and grains left too long would turn to beer. However, until the invention of pottery around 6000 BCE, it was impossible to store wine and mead since grapes were only available in season (no refrigeration yet!) and wild honey was available in limited qualities. Beer, however, is made from grains, which in are readily available and easily stored. Also, beverages made with prepared water (i.e. boiled) were safer to drink than straight water. These reasons may be the reason that the first written recipe—written in cuneiform—is for beer.

You may be wondering why I am spewing information about the birth of beer. Well, primarily, it is easy to justify the importance of the drink to those who find it distasteful or “gross.” More importantly, however, it is to divulge a bit of information about cask ales. I was fortunate enough to attend the 2nd Annual Manhattan Cask Ale festival this weekend at the Chelsea Brewery in Manhattan and feel that is my duty as a devout beer lover to share with you the deliciousness that is cask ale.

Since we’ve already established that beer goes hand and hand with the birth of civilization (and if you dispute this fact, please do get in touch. I would be more than happy to discuss this with you), let us examine how beer was traditionally served before the advent of Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide.

The vast majority of bars and restaurants today serve draught beer from a keg. This keg is pressurized and has an opening in the top where a line can be attached. Without going into detail—and if you care for a more specific description, you can go here—the artificial pressure of the keg is sometimes coupled with nitrogen or CO2 tanks to force the beer from the keg to the tap and accounts for a portion of the carbonation in a beer. In bottled beer, C02 is forced into the bottle before capping to create the necessary “fizz” when you crack the bottle open (it is also added to prevent air from staying in the bottle, which would oxidize the beer and skunk it.)

Cask Ale, however, is beer served the way it used to be served. A cask is similar in shape to a keg, but there is no forced carbonation and the opening is towards the side of the cask, not in the middle. There are two ways to serve cask ale: a beer engine (basically a hand pump, similar to an old water pump) and gravity style (literally angling the cask on its side so gravity can do its work). Both of these styles irritate the remaining yeast in the cask and allow for a little bit of natural head (the fizz on the top of your glass) to form.

Cask Ale is by far my favorite way to enjoy beer. Some people say it is flat and warm, but since the beer is served at a warmer temperature (in order not to kill the yeast) it allows for a richer flavor. Also, while there is less carbonation, the full taste of the beer perfectly accentuates the natural carbonation. A well made beer will have enough carbonation to please the taste buds without leaving you yearning for canned CO2.

The festival at the Chelsea Brewery was serving up 47 different varieties of Cask Ale, the most ever put together in one spot in Manhattan! I went to the Cask Festival at the Brazen Head bar in Brooklyn a year ago, and while their stash of 20 plus casks was substantial, the collection at the Chelsea Pier was almost overwhelming. Patrons were allowed to choose from 8 oz or 16 oz serving sizes and after purchasing your beer, you could wander around the brewery or take a seat at the outside pier and watch the sunset over the river (and New Jersey, what fun!). Over all, it’s a great experience and a fantastic way to become acquainted with cask ale. If you ever see cask ale offered at your favorite neighborhood bar, definitely try it. You’ll be happy you did.


PS: I called up the Brazen Head in Brooklyn and they said that the next Cask Festival would be held sometime in October. Get your taste buds ready and call your drinking buddies!

Cheers!