Cask: The real story of Britain’s unique beer culture
Cask beer is a unique format of fresh, live draught beer that, at its best, delivers a taste experience unmatchable in any other way. This pioneering new book, published on 1 August 2023, explains what makes it special, and explores its past, present and future.
British Guild of Beer Writers Awards 2023
Silver award: Best book about beer and pubs.
Scroll down for events, media coverage and additional content.
Rarely found in the beer world at large, cask retains a significant commercial presence only in the UK, where it famously survived efforts by big brewery groups to phase it out in the 1960s and 1970s, provoking a vociferous consumer campaign. Though in its home country it’s once again struggling to retain its profile amid a new wave of characterful, quality craft beers in keg, bottle and can, many brewers and drinkers remain fascinated with cask. This timely book, the first of its kind, presents cask in detail to a new generation of drinkers.
The book covers:
- Making cask: an outline of the brewing and fermentation process in simple terms.
- Cask from tank to glass: how brewers and licensees work together to deliver the unique features of cask, including the secrets of the cellar.
- Cask compared: how cask differs from other beer formats.
- The flavour of cask: how flavour works, how cask emphasises flavour, beer styles, cask beer and food.
- The past of cask: how cask emerged from the development of industrial brewing in the 18th and 19th centuries to flourish as what was essentially ‘Britain’s lager’, was buffeted by the challenges of 20th century wars, near-abolished by big brewing groups in subsequent decades, and ultimately saved by consumer campaigning.
- The future of cask: no longer a mass-market product, how can the format cope with the challenges of the 21st century as a niche drink for connoisseurs?
(Above: casks stacked at Theakston’s, Masham, North Yorkshire).
Events and signings
To support the book, I’m planning a year of events like talks, tutored tastings, signings and festival appearances. Details will appear here as confirmed.
- Sat 27 April 2024, Dundee. Beer tasting, talk and signing at CAMRA Members’ Weekend. Private event: if you’re attending and interested, advance booking for the session is recommended: please check handbook for details.
- Thu 2 May 2024, London. Beer tasting, talk and signing for IPAs for Warmer Days event at Sambrook’s, Ram Brewery, 1 Bellwether Lane, London SW18 1UD. Time TBC.
- Thu 16 May 2024, Newton, Cambridge. Beer tasting, talk and signing with Justin Hawke of Moor Beer at Queens Head, Fowlmere Road, Newton, Cambridge CB22 7PG. Looking forward to sharing some great cask in one of the ‘famous five’ pubs that’s featured in every issue of the Good Beer Guide. Contact pub for details.
- Thu 27 June 2024, London. Talk, tasting and signing at Moor Beer Vaults, 71 Enid Street, London SE16 3RA, with the brewery’s Justin Hawke. A great venue in the heart of the Beer Mile. Details TBC.
(Above: Black Sheep taproom, Masham, North Yorkshire.)
Awards and media coverage
British Guild of Beer Writers 2023 awards
Best beer book: Silver
Full list of winners
CAMRA wins big at British Guild of Beer Writers awards
Daily Express top 6 best wine books 2023
Number 3 of 6
- Andy Taylor interviews me about the book and cask in general for his Nant Fawr Brews podcast August 2023.
- Alison Taffs interviews me as part of the Pubs Pints People podcast Great British Beer Festival special August 2023: I’m the first interviewee in the show.
- ‘For anyone interested in brewing history in the UK and who wants to know more about what makes cask so unique, this book is an absolute top recommendation’ — Jan Nieuwenhuis, PINT Nieuws, Netherlands, autumn 2023.
- Bloggers Boak and Bailey review Cask here.
- Will Hawkes includes news of the book and a short interview in his London Beer City newsletter.
- Longstanding beer blogger and cask campaigner Tandleman reviews the book at Tandleman’s Beer Blog.
- Phil Mellows combines a review with some of his own informed commentary on the state of cask at British Beer Breaks.
- Roger Protz comments at Protz on Beer.
Support my work and enjoy exclusive benefits
Support my work to chronicle and publicise cask beer culture and the London beer scene by becoming a Best Beer Drinker on my Patreon page. For a modest monthly contribution, you’ll get exclusive content, VIP invites to events, big discounts on signed copies and my beer tours, several online updates every year to my London guide and other goodies.
Pic: Sunny S de Moor
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Past events
- Tue 1 August 2023, London: Launch at Great British Beer Festival, Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UX, at the Learning and Discovery Zone at 14.00, a short talk and signing followed by a beer safari.
- Wed 2 and Fri 4 August 2023 19.30 and 15.00, London: Tasting session at Great British Beer Festival: Cask classic and contemporary, Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UX. A whirlwind tour of the evolution of cask from 19th century mild ‘running ales’ through two world wars and the fightback against merger mania to the emergence of today’s golden ales and ‘palenhoppy’ beers, accompanied by choice tastings of some of this year’s Champion Beer of Britain finalists.
- Thu 7 September 2023 from 18.00, Bristol: Talk, tasting and signing at Moor Beer, Days Road, Bristol BS2 0QS. Join owner Justin Hawke, special guest Sebastian from Freigeist Bierkultur in Germany’s Rhineland, and me at this excellent Bristol brewery, noted for great lager and can conditioning as well as superb cask.
- Wed 27 September 2023 19.00, Manchester: Talk, tasting and signing at the Marble Arch, 73 Rochdale Road, Manchester M4 4HY. With the team from Marble Brewery at one of Manchester’s most beautiful pubs and a longstanding cask haven.
- Sat 30 September 2023 12.30, St Albans. Cheddar and cask pairing and signing at St Albans Beer and Cider Festival, Alban Arena, Civic Centre, St Albans AL1 3LD. Beer and cheese are perfect partners, as you’ll discover at this bonus event at a great beer festival: I’ll be teaming up with James Grant of No2 Pound Street, pairing beers (and a cider) with a variety of top quality artisanal Cheddar cheese, each with its distinct profile, followed by a signing.
- Sat 7 October 2023 13.30, London: Talk and signing at BrewCon, Hackney Brewery High Hill Tap, 10 Lockwood Way, London E17 5RB. Delighted to be back at the UK’s first and favourite annual get-together for home brewers and beer enthusiasts, with lots of other stuff going on too both here and at Wild Card opposite.
- Sun 8 October 2023 16.00, London. Tutored tasting and signing at Morocco Bound, 1a Morocco Street, London SE1 3HB. I couldn’t miss the chance to host an event at this delightful place off Bermondsey Street which manages to combine a craft beer shop specialising in local suppliers, an independent bookshop and a community events venue under one roof. Join us for some local craft and a talk on cask.
- Thu 19 October 2023, London: Participation in panel on cask beer, plus book signing, at Brewers Congress, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH.
- Fri 20 October 2023 19.00, London: Talk, tasting and signing at Olde Mitre, 1 Ely Court, Ely Place, London EC1N 6SJ. Tucked down a picturesque alley off Holborn Circus, the Mitre is one of the London’s most attractive and historic pubs and also one of its longstanding cask champions, a regular Fuller’s stockist with numerous guest beers too. What better venue for a celebration of the flavours of cask?
- Sat 21 October 2023 20.00 (BST), virtual: Talk and presentation on The Real Story of Cask Beer as part of the Chicago Brewseum Beer Culture Summit.
- Sun 19 November 2023 14.00, London: Talk and signing at Beerblefish taproom, 2A-4 Uplands Business Park, Blackhorse Lane E17 5QJ. A relaxed Sunday afternoon session exploring the Real Story of Cask Beer, with a few to taste, at a great brewery that straddles old and new in one of London’s top brewing centres.
- Thu 30 November 2023, London. Beer safari and signings at Pigs Ear Beer and Cider Festival, Round Chapel, 1D Glenarm Road, London E5 0LY.
- Thu 7 December 2023, Colchester, Essex: Talk, tasting and signing at Victoria Inn, 10 North Station Road, Colchester CO1 1RB. This award-winning independent pub is widely noted for its cask beer and we’ll take a grand tour through the styles tonight.
On other pages
More about what Cask sets out to do
More about my guidebook London’s Best Beer, Pubs and Bars
London’s Best Beer Facebook page
London’s Best Beer Twitter feed
My London brewery and beer heritage tours
