No, I haven’t been raiding the Christmas cracker jokes early, it’s a question we were discussing in the office the other day.
For me, cask ale is the deciding factor. If there’s no cask beer, it’s not a pub, it’s a bar.
This might provoke some lively debate but cask ale has been dear to my heart long before I brewed my first commercial beer – a pale ale I called Budding (after Edwin Budding who invented the lawnmower in the brewery’s hometown of Stroud).
Its taste and heritage aren’t the only reasons I champion cask and the licensees who serve it. It’s also the most environmentally friendly form of beer during all stages of production and consumption.
How is cask ale more sustainable? The farming methods for growing ingredients probably spring to mind first. They’re certainly important but there’s more to consider: principally the production of carbon dioxide, that well-known cause of climate change.
Although both cask and keg beer are stored in reusable containers, the storage and dispensing of keg lead to more carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere compared to cask.
Lower carbon footprints
The energy needed for refrigerating the beer plus the pressurising of the keg both lead to carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere.
Whereas, the storing of cask ale at cellar temperature (or still a lower temperature than keg, even if there’s assisted chilling) and use of CO2 from natural fermentation to pressurise the barrel and carbonate the beer have much lower carbon footprints.
Add organically grown ingredients into the mix and the green credentials stack up even more.
This is all great, you may say, but how does it help boost cask ale sales?
Numerous surveys reveal the public’s wish to choose sustainability produced food and drink.
Offering cask ale to customers is a win-win for both the environment and the publican. Explain the combination of great taste and quality with environmental friendliness, especially brews that have supported organic and regenerative farming methods and what customer could refuse?
Ensuring publicans and their staff have the knowledge and skills to give cask ale some TLC and keep it in tip-top condition is a challenge for the industry.
Finer qualities
A great licensee understands cask beer is a living thing with a short shelf life and knows about the hygiene needs, the serving temperature, how to pour it and even how the cleanliness of the glass makes a difference.
Plus, the icing on the cake is whether a publican can discuss the finer qualities with their customers like the different styles, their complexities and how to pair them with food.
Now, I might appear to be myopically devoted to cask ale but don’t get me wrong, keg beer has certainly got its place on the bar and has broadened customers’ choice, hopefully enticing more people into our pubs.
At Stroud Brewery, many of our beers are offered as keg as well as cask to meet customers’ demand.
I have an optimistic view of cask and how, as a style, it will long prevail as a tasty, low impact and unique style requiring knowledge and skill that defines the UK pub.
With our increasing awareness of climate change and human impact, can we use this to give cask an added 21st century appeal?
