Brewed Beverage of Choice: A Glass of Saint Feuillien Cuvee de Noel (4 stars at the Holiday Ale Festival)
The other night as I sat at the Moon and Sixpence, sipping on a cask-conditioned Red Seal Ale, and explaining to my date what a real ale or cask-conditioned ale is, it occurred to me that I should be an advocate for Real Ales here in the states. In other words, Real Ales are now my new religion.
In the UK the Campaign for Real Ale or CAMRA was started in order to save what they saw as a dying artform, not only Real Ales, but also good beers in general. They were trying to minimalize the stronghold that mass produced lagers had on their society. In some respects, thanks to CAMRA, we in America are in the midst of a strong, microbrewing revolution. As an advocate of Real Ales, not only would I be aiding this revolution, but I would also be campaigning for buying local because Real Ales need to be served ‘fresh.’
Please do not think that while on a date all I was thinking about was how I should be a Real Ale Advocate. That really hit me the next morning. I may be single…but I am not stupid. At least I did manage to convert one new disciple despite not getting a third date. (That is another amusing story I will not get into…perhaps I was thinking about Real Ales too much on the date.)
I am not going to get into the full definition of what a Real Ale is as of yet. That will be saved for my next BrewU. I still have a lot of research to do on that topic. Just know that most of us in the business refer to Real Ales or Cask-Conditioned Ales as live brews served at cellar temperatures bringing out the most in flavours. Instead, I am announcing the introduction of ‘Ask For Cask’ as a new category. Here I will try to educate folk on Real Ales, give some reviews of some of the best Real Ales, hopefully tell of some travels to find these great Real Ales and Real Ale friendly environs.
This is quite exciting! It allows me to introduce a whole new world to some, to share some fascination with other Real Ale lovers, as well as allow me to study up on an area of brewing I know so little about. If you know of a great place to get hearty cask-conditioned ales in your city, email me at confucianbrewer@confucianbrewer.com and tell me your favourite brews, your favourite cask friendly places, or about upcoming festivals we all might be interesting in attending.
It is time to ‘pull a pint!’
Prost!
the confucian, cask-conditioned advocate brewer