Our crowd-favourite IPA dry-hopped with our brewer’s home grown Chinook hops.
What is cask beer?
Traditionally, Cask Ale is beer removed from its initial fermentation vessel and put into a cask from which it will be served. A small amount of sugar would then be added to start a secondary fermentation. As the yeast consumed this sugar the carbonation the beer would be served with is created. The cask would then be stored at cellar temperatures between 10 and 14 degrees Celsius until this fermentation is complete. When it was served, it would be mildly warmer than we expect today, with only the amount of carbonation created by the fermentation process. This allowed the beer to be presented in its natural state, without the sharpness of forced carbonation or aroma deadening character of nitrogenation. This is how beer was originally served before the mass adoption of kegs, and what many in the UK consider “real” Ale.
At Gladstone we’re doing things a little differently. Our Cask Specials are one off versions of our beers transferred into a cask and conditioned with a touch of additional sugar for carbonation and special added ingredients to create a unique flavour that enhances the original, or takes it to an interesting new place. Because the Cask is served off the top of the bar, the temperature will be higher than that of a cellar, but the spirit of real beer comes through cleanly.