What is a firkin? What is real ale? And, for the love of all things good and holy, what on earth is ullage? Discover the answers to these questions and more as we explore the naturally carbonated world of cask-conditioned ale.
“The British are so easy to please. It is the most extraordinary thing. They actually like their pleasures small.” —Bill Bryson in Notes from a Small Island
Whether served directly from the cask or via an elegant swan-necked beer engine, a brilliantly clear pint of sparkling cask-conditioned beer is one of the simplest, most comforting pleasures an ale aficionado will ever know. When treated with care and reverence, so-called real ale easily ranks among the world’s finest expressions of malt, hops, water, and yeast. Mistreated cask ale, however, simply reinforces the misconception that British beer is warm and flat.