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Friday the Firkinteenth returns in October to The Grey Lodge in Philadelphia, while spile pegs will fly Nov. 3-5 at the 10th Cask Head Festival at Brooklyn’s excellent Brazen Head pub — where up to 25 unusual cask ales can be expected through the weekend.
And going on general release in September was the Caskerator, a dedicated kegerator which makes it easy for just about anyone to keep cask ales at the optimum cellar temperature. As well as the prototype installed at Pennsylvania’s Lancaster Brewing Co., Caskerators have so far appeared at Drop Off Service (211 Avenue A, NYC), The Linkery in San Diego, and The Laughing Seed in Asheville, NC.
The Caskerator employs a thermo-electric heat exchanging device rather than a traditional refrigeration system with compressor. It can be put anywhere — in the cellar, under the bar, in a corner — though as near as possible to the pump is ideal.
Now that summer is a hot-and-humid memory, regular cask shipments from the U.K. will be resuming shortly. Look for subtly carbonated delights from Williams Brothers (Scotland), Dark Star, Hop Back, Brewster’s, Harviestoun, Cameron’s, Cropton, Ridgeway, etc., at a cask outlet near you.
Coincidentally, a number of bars, brewpubs, and restaurants are seeking to install or expand; Sly Fox (519 Kimberton Road, Phoenixville, PA) has just invested in three new beer engines, while Bobbique is conveniently situated at 70 West Main Street, Patchogue, Long Island, to receive ultra-fresh firkins from Blue Point brewery.
Tapping for the first time soon will be Circa (37 Main Street, High Bridge, NJ). In New York City, Chelsea Brewing has just purchased about a dozen more shiny casks to keep up with local demand, and the ever-popular Sixpoint Craft Ales continues to please wherever their pins and firkins go. Just up the road, Brooklyn Brewery has promised a firkin of their yummy and hard-to-find Brooklyn Blast for the Brazen Head’s festival, while at the opposite end of the borough there should be a beer engine in action soon at The Draft Barn (317 Avenue X). Alex Hall is publisher of The Gotham Imbiber.
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