Casks at The Reef (Adams-Morgan)
Just confirmed that The Reef will be starting to tap casks again around or just after Thanksgiving.
No word yet what will be first up, but Bryan, the owner of The Reef, always puts out great casks.
What’s the fuss about cask-conditioned beer (sometimes called “real ale”), anyway? The fundamental difference between cask beer and beer in a keg is that cask beer is served without any added nitrogen or carbon dioxide. It’s also unpasteurized and unfiltered. Beer from a keg is “pushed” out by added carbonation, whereas cask beer has to be hand-pumped. Cask beer also contains active yeast, which means the beer continues to mature once it’s placed into the cask. Of course, this usually means that cask beer is less carbonated than most people expect. It’s also a lot fresher and more complex, which is one of the main draws.
Find out more here at the Campaign for Real Ale. Also, Beerology has a nice podcast on the topic here.