Is cask beer still a thing?

[JerCraigs]

I'd say the number of people that enjoy a good cask when they come across it is higher than the number that would actively seek it out. I enjoy cask beer but Cask Days was more about finding new and interesting beers than the fact that they were on cask.

I'd say the places still doing cask in Toronto/Ontario are also the ones that were actually doing the best job of consistently doing it well / keeping it in good condition.

[seangm]

Common Good had their Ellesmere Amber on cask earlier this year and plan to have more offerings on cask from time to time. They typically brew a good rotation of traditional styles and largely stay away from all the trendy adjunct styles, which is fine by me.

[Craig]

I've been saying for years that I wish Cask Days would drop the Cask. If it's all about experimental stuff, just put it in kegs so we can try it the way it's meant to be. Most of the beers served there don't benefit from the cask treatment at all.

The Wooly has 4 engines?! I can't recall seeing more than one in use at a time since I moved to Guelph. I bet it doesn't move particularly well, which I suppose is why it's kinda not a thing all over. The old-timey beer bars have old-timey clientele (hey, that's us!) who like the told-timey styles and format.

[matt7215]

I've been saying for years that I wish Cask Days would drop the Cask. If it's all about experimental stuff, just put it in kegs so we can try it the way it's meant to be. Most of the beers served there don't benefit from the cask treatment at all.

The Wooly has 4 engines?! I can't recall seeing more than one in use at a time since I moved to Guelph. I bet it doesn't move particularly well, which I suppose is why it's kinda not a thing all over. The old-timey beer bars have old-timey clientele (hey, that's us!) who like the told-timey styles and format.

the logistics for serving cask beer make pulling off cask days a possibility, finding a way to serve 500+ kegs of beer at a time would be a nightmare

[MatttthewGeorge]

I've been saying for years that I wish Cask Days would drop the Cask. If it's all about experimental stuff, just put it in kegs so we can try it the way it's meant to be. Most of the beers served there don't benefit from the cask treatment at all.

The Wooly has 4 engines?! I can't recall seeing more than one in use at a time since I moved to Guelph. I bet it doesn't move particularly well, which I suppose is why it's kinda not a thing all over. The old-timey beer bars have old-timey clientele (hey, that's us!) who like the told-timey styles and format.

They used to have 4 engines. I haven't been post-covid, maybe things have changed.

EDIT
Just checked their website, only one cask. Used to be 2 Wellington casks, 1 MacLeans cask, and 1 rotating cask. I've drank a lot of cask MacLeans Pale Ale there. Too bad.

[Craig]

I've been saying for years that I wish Cask Days would drop the Cask. If it's all about experimental stuff, just put it in kegs so we can try it the way it's meant to be. Most of the beers served there don't benefit from the cask treatment at all.

The Wooly has 4 engines?! I can't recall seeing more than one in use at a time since I moved to Guelph. I bet it doesn't move particularly well, which I suppose is why it's kinda not a thing all over. The old-timey beer bars have old-timey clientele (hey, that's us!) who like the told-timey styles and format.

the logistics for serving cask beer make pulling off cask days a possibility, finding a way to serve 500+ kegs of beer at a time would be a nightmare

I suppose, but there are plenty of large beer festivals out there that pull it off.

[MatttthewGeorge]

I've been saying for years that I wish Cask Days would drop the Cask. If it's all about experimental stuff, just put it in kegs so we can try it the way it's meant to be. Most of the beers served there don't benefit from the cask treatment at all.

The Wooly has 4 engines?! I can't recall seeing more than one in use at a time since I moved to Guelph. I bet it doesn't move particularly well, which I suppose is why it's kinda not a thing all over. The old-timey beer bars have old-timey clientele (hey, that's us!) who like the told-timey styles and format.

I'd prefer them to drop the experimental stuff and go back to making it all about proper cask beer. But yes, if it's about the experiment stuff, maybe doing both would be best.
I'm hoping years festival is back to basics, and basic beer, hence why I think I'm gonna make the awful trip to the centre of the universe, lol

(Seeing as that Stone Hammer smoked meat brussels sprout sour was mainly my idea though, it's hard not to blame myself a little bit for what Cask Days turned into, lol)

[matt7215]

I've been saying for years that I wish Cask Days would drop the Cask. If it's all about experimental stuff, just put it in kegs so we can try it the way it's meant to be. Most of the beers served there don't benefit from the cask treatment at all.

The Wooly has 4 engines?! I can't recall seeing more than one in use at a time since I moved to Guelph. I bet it doesn't move particularly well, which I suppose is why it's kinda not a thing all over. The old-timey beer bars have old-timey clientele (hey, that's us!) who like the told-timey styles and format.

I'd prefer them to drop the experimental stuff and go back to making it all about proper cask beer. But yes, if it's about the experiment stuff, maybe doing both would be best.
I'm hoping years festival is back to basics, and basic beer, hence why I think I'm gonna make the awful trip to the centre of the universe, lol

(Seeing as that Stone Hammer smoked meat brussels sprout sour was mainly my idea though, it's hard not to blame myself a little bit for what Cask Days turned into, lol)

The Wooly could actually pull off an amazing traditional cask beer fest, or maybe a traditional cask beer feature weekend, and then no one would have to make the awful trip you referenced

[MatttthewGeorge]

I'd prefer them to drop the experimental stuff and go back to making it all about proper cask beer. But yes, if it's about the experiment stuff, maybe doing both would be best.
I'm hoping years festival is back to basics, and basic beer, hence why I think I'm gonna make the awful trip to the centre of the universe, lol

(Seeing as that Stone Hammer smoked meat brussels sprout sour was mainly my idea though, it's hard not to blame myself a little bit for what Cask Days turned into, lol)

The Wooly could actually pull off an amazing traditional cask beer fest, or maybe a traditional cask beer feature weekend, and then no one would have to make the awful trip you referenced

I believe either they, or Welly (or both) started one with pins pre-covid, but I could be wrong.
And I would love for them to do it (again) as going to Toronto is indeed awful
<insert "old man yells at cloud" image here>

[MatttthewGeorge]

The Wooly has 4 engines?! I can't recall seeing more than one in use at a time since I moved to Guelph. I bet it doesn't move particularly well, which I suppose is why it's kinda not a thing all over. The old-timey beer bars have old-timey clientele (hey, that's us!) who like the told-timey styles and format.

Confirmed The Wooly has 4 engines, however they only have 1 (sometimes but rarely a second) on at any given time due to the decreased popularity of cask beer.