Yours Truly Hoisting the First Pint

The Pulling of the First Pint from the Traditional Beer Engine

I just got back from the cask night hosted by the Sugar Bowl and Alley Kat Brewing. What a blast! I think all the way around it was a big success. The cask disappeared in about 90 minutes – and it would have been faster except the pouring took longer than expected (a lesson for next time).

I estimate about 150 people came looking for a pint, and not all were successful, unfortunately. Right at 5:00 there were about 70 eager drinkers, but the crowd kept filtering in over the next half hour or so. Hopefully next time the latecomers will know to arrive earlier.

And, yes, there will be a next time. Sugar Bowl and Alley Kat have agreed to a monthly cask event and the next one will be June 24. This one was hopping and I expect the next one will be too. Clearly Edmonton is up to the challenge of a cask night, if today was any indication.

As for the beer, it was a marvelous example of what happens when you cask a beer. It was a Full Moon Pale Ale base with Centennial Hops added in the cask, but you would never imagine it as a Full Moon. The cask version was soft and fruity with a pleasant citrus hop character. With all the dry hopping you might expect the hops to be overpowering, but that is the opposite of what it offered. It was mellow and full with a gentle bitterness and a touch of malt sweetness. Overall the beer was both fuller and less obtrusive than its regular keg parent. The light carbonation and live yeast gave it an earthier presence, one that was both easier to drink and more filling. Both the hops and the malt were softened by the cask presentation, creating a beer that offered something of both. It was more flavourful but at the same time less sharp. I wish I had another pint or two to continue my exploration of its complex flavour profile.

The reviews around the room were very positive. A few people told me it was their first cask ale, and so their experience was truly one of a kind as they experienced what a cask ale means. It was a very mixed crowd, complete with both beer geeks and curious newcomers – which is how it should be. The Edmonton Homebrewers’ Guild anchored the event in many ways – about 20 or so members showed up – and their reviews, too, were glowing, which suggests that all the way around the beer was a success.

As the pictures suggest (and thanks to Lisa for taking them), I received the great honour of pulling the first pint from Alley Kat’s traditional beer engine. Thanks to Neil and Abel for being so kind to offer the first pull to me. Timeliness required an abandonment of the engine shortly into the pouring, as it simply could not keep up with the demand (hence the longer than expected serving time).

Overall, I believe the event was worthy of the buzz that surrounded it over the past couple of weeks. And I look forward to next month’s incarnation. No word yet on what the beer will be. But I bet it will be yummy.