Thoughts on Cask Ale in Raleigh

After thoroughly enjoying the Raleigh Times "Super Duper Cask Party" last night, I think it is time that a local bar step up and offer Cask beer as a regular part of their lineup. It is quite obvious that Cask ale has quite a following locally, as every special event is packed. While the fact that the events are bringing out a big crowd is great, the Casks often get drained very quickly (1 hr) and it causes a couple of problems in my opinion. It promotes drinking faster than normal if you want to have more than 1 glass of the special offering. It does not promote a full appreciation of the beer and all of its flavors.

Now, yes, of course I could get my one pint, and sit and enjoy it as slowly as I would like, there is certainly nothing preventing me from doing that. The event and the beer would be much more enjoyable if it was possible to have a few pints over a few hours.

The bigger issue is simply that I really enjoy Cask Ale and it is frustrating having to attend special events to drink some. Then the Cask gets kicked so quickly and the wait for the next event begins.

There are plenty of bars in other locations that have a Cask in their regular lineup. We have some great breweries in the area that are obviously committed to producing Casks. I believe this has the potential to be very popular, and would definitely separate a bar from the rest of the crowd if they were to offer Casks regularly.