Cask Ales in the USA.

I will perhaps repeat myself here and there, but I just read an article in the Spring 2026 edition of CAMRA's BEER magazine about how 'cool' cask ale is becoming in the USA. I'll write a wee bit about my experiences with ale from the USA, I have written around beers and bars in the USA a few times before, for example regarding the beer writer Michael Jackson (blog), and a friend's bar in Florida, the Brown Dog (blog). The article is called USALE and written by Ruvani de Silva.*

The image above is from Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago (website), which I visited towards the end of the last millennium whilst in Chicago delivering a paper to an academic conference; I had some time off thankfully. 😁 Anyway, I visited this brewpub in what seemed like a middle of nowhere industrial estate. I had had some advice from someone I knew who used to live close by before she moved to England, and her boyfriend, who really was the person I knew, and he had been to Chicago too. Since I visited, Goose Island has grown and been taken over by Anheuser-Busch since 2011: more in the Michael Jackson blog.

At Goose Island I had the choice of quite a number of different British style ales, Stout and Porter, traditional and Extra Strong Bitters, and an IPA/APA or two too, and served from traditional handpull beer engines. So good to see their cask ale variations, and not just at pubs and bars, but at cask ale festivals too. The image above is from the New England Real Ale Exhibition (NERAX), which is in its 25th year, indeed, it was just recently held, 25-28 March 2026 (website). It is also great to see that ales are served in British sized pints at the festival, in 20 fluid ounce glasses, and with other variations, half pints and less. 😕

Ruvani discusses bars and breweries from the East, bars like Jones Wood Foundry, 401 East 76th Street, New York, NY 10021, above (website), to the West, brewpubs like Steeplejack Brewing Company, 2400 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232 (website), and down South, Acopon Brewing Company, 211 West Mercer Street, Dripping Springs, TX 78620, image below (website). Jones Wood was established 15 years ago by Englishman Jason Hicks, who has lived in the USA for 30 years, and is an authentic British style bar. His cellar manager Ryan Leonard goes along with the 'cool' assessment of cask ale, stating that the number of women and younger drinkers has definitely increased over the last five to ten years.*

Anna Buxton, Head Brewer at Steeplejack Brewing, agrees that Millennials and Gen Z drinkers are turning to cask ales from stronger 'craft' beers, saying that "historically, a Portland cask ale customer was a middle aged cask enthusiast, drastically different from the new customer I'm seeing, who more consistently is late 20s and early 30s." *

This image of Acopon Brewing Company's brewpub is with thanks to the Destination Dripping Springs website, showing a rather more laid back Texas establishment. 😁 Dave Niemeyer and John McIntosh, the founders, chose to brew British style ales as they are easier for new beer drinkers, but appeal to craft beer drinkers too. John says that "people are very appreciative of the more nuanced flavours, are less bloated than when drinking carbonated beers" and like that more session strength ale "allows them to enjoy a few, not just one or two high-strength IPAs." *   

So a growth in cask-conditioned ales is happening over the other side of the North Atlantic, good to have such excellent news from the "cool" cask ale drinkers of the USA, cheers folks! 🍺

Covent Garden Pubs 3!

Further to my two recent Covent Garden blogs (blog) and (blog), again, a pub crawl from Charing Cross to Tottenham Court Road tube station, and we again started at The Harp, 47 Chandos Place WC2N 4HS (website) as, quite frankly, we're always served excellent ale there, and this visit was no different. One of my favourite breweries Oakham Ales of Peterborough fame (website), and their single hop session ale Citra (4.2%). Unsurprisingly, brewed with Citra hops (hopslist), the first British brewery to use this hop after discovering it in the USA back in 2009, meaning a zesty, grapefruit tasting APA, refreshing and excellent as always, cheers! 😁

And again, we turned left out of The Harp, then left up Bedfordbury, walked to the end and turned right, this time passing both The White Swan and The Round House, and turned left onto Garrick Street, following this up to the 6 exit junction, taking the second on the left, Cranbourn Street, up to Charing Cross Road where our next pub was. That was The Porcupine, 48 Charing Cross Road WC2H 0BS, by Leicester Square tube station (website). An inn/pub has been on this site since 1725, when the original address was 1 Castle Street, before Charing Cross Road was built in the 1870s, the pub was then rebuilt in 1880. 

Here we drank a pale ale, a collaboration between Farnham in Surrey based Hogs Back Brewery (website) and Battersea in London based Mondo Brewing Company (website), their 3.8% Juliet, which was brewed to celebrate International Women's Day (website). Brewed with Cascade (hopslist), Citra (hopslist) and Hallertau Blanc (hopslist) hops, and, as you'd expect, very light and fruity, with hints of grapefruit, gooseberries, and forest fruits. Not as much punch as our earlier pint, but not bad at all. 👌

We then turned right out of The Porcupine, and immediately right again down Great Newport Street, back to the junction and taking the second on the left, Long Acre, continuing to the third left, Neal Street, where towards the end, at the junction with Shelton Street, is the Crown & Anchor, 22 Neal Street WC2H 9PS (website). A pub has been on this site since at least 1811, when Combe & Co Brewery, which was situated across the road since 1787, had the pub. The brewery merged with Watney & Co and Reid's Brewery Co in 1898, and became Watney, Combe, Reid & Co. The current Grade II Listed building was constructed in 1904.

Here we drank, from East London brewery Five Points Brewing (website), their 4.0% XPA, an American Pale Ale style ale, brewed with Citra (hopslist), Galaxy (hopslist) and Sabro (Hop Breeding Co) hops. This produces a pale beer with plenty of citrus and forest fruits, particularly grapefruit, bitter with a refreshing dry finish, quite excellent too! 👍

From the Crown & Anchor we turned left onto Shelton Street, along to Endell Street, where we turned left again and up on the left we reached The Cross Keys, 31 Endell Street WC2H 9EB (Covent Garden website). This is a Grade II Listed building, constructed in 1848, which I visited 14 years ago when it was one of 3 Brodie's pubs (sadly Brodie's no longer exists), including The Old Coffee House in nearby Soho and their taphouse the King William IV in Leyton (website), and you could also get their ales regularly at the King Charles I near King's Cross (website).

They had 2 cask ales, both from Lewes in East Sussex brewery Harvey's (website), and I had a couple of pints of their 4.0% Sussex Best, brewed with 4 'local' English hops. I should have enquired when we visited the brewery back in December 2019 (blog), but the hops regularly used appear to be generally accepted as Fuggle (hopslist), Kent Golding (hopslist), Progress (hopslist) and Bramling Cross (hopslist). It's a traditional style amber bitter, slightly malty with a hint of nuts in the taste, very easy to drink, to my taste not bitter enough, but pretty reliable. 👌

We then followed Endell Street down to its end and reached the corner pub at High Holborn, Craft Beer Company, 168 High Holborn WC1V 7AA (website), which I wrote about in my first Covent Garden blog. However, we didn't have enough time for a pint there, so we crossed the road, and walked down Dyott Street opposite to New Oxford Street, where we turned left up to the junction with Tottenham Court Road and the tube station. 

I trust you've had enough about Covent Garden for now, cheers folks! 😉

St Patrick's Day - March Whiskey of the Month, Sláinte!

St Patrick's Day being the 17th of March, I bought a bottle of the Second Edition of their Wonders of Wood series, a 50.0% Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey - Virgin Portuguese Oak from Dublin distillery Teeling, the first new distillery to open in Dublin for over 125 years in 2015 (website). As usual for Irish whiskey this was triple distilled, and created from 50% malted and 50% un-malted Irish Barley, then this edition aged in virgin Portuguese oak casks.

Portuguese oak, native to the Iberian Peninsula, "has a higher tannin content than other oak variants normally used in the Whiskey industry." Consequently bringing unique flavours when used for maturation. A nice deep golden colour, with a sweet, but spicy aroma, with hints of ginger and oak wood. To taste, less sweet than Irish whiskeys can be, but amazingly gentle considering the strength, with orange marmalade, apricot and vanilla to taste, finishing a little spicy, notably nutmeg, and a subtle woodiness too; I noted the alcohol goes down gently at the back of the mouth. A wee bit special for March Whiskey of the Month, nice one, sláinte! 👍💚

I've a wee bit left for tomorrow... 😉

Please note that, in "collaboration with the Tree Council of Ireland every release in the Wonders of Wood series will work towards the reforestation of a designated area of woodland in Ireland with exclusively native Irish trees. The first release allowed for an acre of native oak trees to be planted in the Glencree region of County Wicklow just outside of Dublin. The second release will allow for a second acre to be planted this time in County Dublin, again in partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland." A good cause indeed. 🌳🌳🌳

Covent Garden Pubs 2

Further to my recent Covent Garden blog, really a wee pub crawl from Charing Cross to Tottenham Court Road/Oxford Street, where we obviously missed quite a few pubs, we decided to go to some of those pubs missed. But we did start again at The Harp, 47 Chandos Place WC2N 4HS (website) as, quite frankly, it is an excellent pub, can't be missed if in the area, although it does get very busy at times,  but we were there early, so no problem! 

As ever at The Harp, an excellent range of ales to chose from including, from Huddersfield brewery Mallinsons (website), Belma, a 4.0% single hopped ale, yes you've guessed it right, brewed with Belma hops (hopslist). 😉 Anyway, this was excellent, pale golden colour and, they say "blonde with notes of citrus, pineapple and strawberry" - whilst I say, yes, quite fruity, but very subtle, I got grapefruit, maybe tangerine too, but again, very subtle, with a lovely dry bitter finish. I already knew this would be my favourite ale of this trip, but then, Mallinsons consistently brew excellent pale ales, and I wasn't disappointed, great stuff, cheers! 😁

Once again, we turned left out of The Harp, then left again up Bedfordbury, walked to the end and turned right, this time missing The White Swan, instead virtually opposite that pub is The Round House, 1 Garrick Street WC2E 9BF (website). The Round House was built in the 1860s, catering for theatre goers and market traders, and originally traded as Petters Hotel until the name was changed to The Round House in 1943.

Here, we drank Fuller's Grand Slam, a 3.4% pale golden seasonal ale, celebrating the Rugby Union Six Nations Tournament, Fuller's (now Asahi) Griffin brewery (website) not being a million miles away from Twickenham Stadium, the home of England Rugby Union (website). Anyway, they say "citrus and pine" flavour, but I cannot find which hopes are used, although Amarillo, Cascade and Citra are among the likely choices. Whatever, this is a fruity, crisp, dry, and easy drinking pale ale with a gentle bitterness at the finish. 👍

We could see our next pub from the window of The Round House, a pub I've not been to for years! Anyway, we exited the Roundhouse, left onto Garrick Street and turned immediately first right, and straight in front of us, the Lamb & Flag, 33 Rose Street WC2E 9EB (website). A pub is first recorded here in 1772, with the 18th century building constructed on the same site of a house known to have been built by 1638, perhaps 10 years or so earlier when the street itself was built. This timber-framed, and Grade II Listed pub, was originally called the Cooper's Arms until the name was changed to the Lamb & Flag in 1833.

Here we drank an ale from Devon based Salcombe Brewery (website), their 4.2% Shingle Bay, a golden ale that I believe is brewed with New Zealand Pacific Gem hops (hopslist). They say "fruity aroma of blackberry and spiced fruit" which is again, very subtle, but suggested by the hops used. I found it to have a gentle citrus aroma and flavour, with a peppery dry bitter finish, and another easy drinking ale to quaff. 🍺

From the Lamb & Flag, we turned back on ourselves and right onto Garrick Street, shortly along to a 6 road junction, taking the third left/opposite Great Newport Street to Charing Cross Road and we turned right onto the main road. We carried along roughly northwards to Shaftesbury Avenue, where we turned left, and then first right onto Greek Street where we reached The Coach & Horses, 29 Greek Street, W1D 5DH (website). This Grade II Listed building dates back to 1840, and is claimed to be "Soho's Most Famous Pub" and historically a drinking establishment for writers, artists and poets; indeed, a friend reminded me soon after I posted this photograph on social media, that it was where folk from the satirical magazine Private Eye had their famous fortnightly lunches, cheers Stephen! 🍷🍸🍻

Here we drank, from Bermondsey in South East London, The Kernel Brewery (website) and their 4.0% Small Pale Ale, this one brewed with Columbus hops (hopslist); apparently they brew a variety of changing 'session' Small Pale Ales with different hops used, and different strengths. Anyway, the Columbus hop helps produce big citrus flavoured brews, and despite this being a bit trendy hazy, the hops did their job to ensure it was a pleasant ale indeed. 👌

I didn't realise it in the planning, but these 4 pubs all had something in common, in that they are all Fuller's pubs, indeed, I hadn't realised before how much Fuller's has encroached into the centre of London from their origins in West London. Also, rather surprisingly, I discovered that there was a 10% discount for CAMRA members at all 4 pubs, nice one, cheers folks! 😄

Southampton Visit

I arrived by train in Southampton and literally walked due south following the sun, slightly to the right of south, and didn't need to check a map, the sun did its job! My first destination was the Grade I Listed 14th century warehouse, The Wool House, Town Quay SO14 2AR (Historic England), now the home of Dancing Man Brewery, and Bar and Restaurant (website).

My first ale was Dancing Man Jesus Hairdo Pale Ale (4.0%), which the brewery doesn't divulge in writing anywhere I can find which hops are used, but it is suggested in places that English hops are used. This is born out on tasting as this has a gentle fruitiness to taste, it is slightly hazy, dry and bitter, and quite refreshing, it would make an excellent summer ale methinks!

I loved this spiral staircase coming down from the restaurant upstairs, so had to take a photograph and include it here. The brewery is downstairs towards the back, but no photographs from me of that here. I received a warm welcome when I entered the bar, good discourse with both lads, and I was enticed into having a second pint (below), I coped! 😉

Hazy, perhaps a wee bit more than the Jesus Hairdo, the Voodoo Jazz Hat, a New Zealand Pale Ale (4.7%) brewed with Motueka (hopslist) and Nelson Sauvin (hopslist) hops. Certainly much more to it, absolutely packed with tropical and citrus fruits, and with a dry bitter finish. As regular readers will be aware I'm not much into hazy ales, but this was pretty damn good!

Close by the Wool House and old town walls is the Grade II Listed Pilgrim Father's Memorial (or Mayflower Memorial - Historic England), a 50 foot high column made of Portland Stone, with a cupola and bronze model of The Mayflower atop. This was designed and erected by Garret and Haysom, and unveiled in August 1913 by the U.S. ambassador to Britain, Dr William Hines Page. In 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers, Protestant 'separatists' from the Church of England, having escaped persecution, and having lived in Leiden in Holland for 12 years, joined up with The Mayflower, and the 65 people who had earlier embarked in that ship at Rotherhithe in London. Their other ship, the Speedwell, was declared unseaworthy when they first set sail for America, but they finally set sail to cross the Atlantic on the 16th of September 1620 (Heritage Calling).

For reasons regarding links to Arthur Wellesley, The Duke of boots and victor at the Battle of Waterloo, and other military victories, oh yes, and he became Prime Minister (twice), I then chose to visit the Grade II Listed Duke of Wellington, 36 Bugle Street SO14 2AH (website). Originally a house built in the early 13th century, with the foundations and cellars still lasting from that date (Historic England).  It became a pub called the Duke of Wellington following victory at Waterloo, previously called Bere House, possibly Southampton's oldest brewery then. Various restorations and work has been done over the centuries, particularly noting damage from a French raid in 1338, and more recently after serious damage caused by bombing in World War II.

This pub is a tied house to the Devizes brewery Wadworth (website) who were established in 1875. I first drank Wadworth 6X (4.1% in cask, although it was 4.3% when I first tasted it) back in my twenties in a Devon pub then called The Palomino Pony, now The Greyhound Country Inn (website), when friends lived close by in a village called Feniton. Anyway, a friendly lad behind the bar, who poured the cask conditioned 6X via an electric pump. 6X is a traditional amber bitter, brewed with Fuggle (hopslist) and Golding (hopslist) hops, with a slightly nutty, malty taste, and a dry, not overly bitter finish, and nice memories jogged too.

I then walked uphill away from the Quay and Old Town towards where I stayed the night, passing through the Grade I Listed Bargate (Sotonopedia), the northernmost gatehouse to the medieval town. The oldest part of this structure was built around the year 1180, with many modifications and restoration since, notably in the 13th, 18th and 19th centuries (Historic England).

After dropping off my backpack at the hotel, I carried on northwards to London Road, just behind which is the Raven & Bine, 16 Carlton Place SO15 2DY (website). This is Dancing Man's second bar/public house which they took over in 2024, and used to be called The Smugglers. I've tried to find out the history of the building, with little luck, although Carlton Place appears to have been built around 1840. The Raven & Bine is quite an airy place inside, having quite a classy interior with 'vintage art' adorning the walls. Again, a friendly young lad behind the bar, and I just about beat the crowds as I reached it earlyish (opens at 16.00).

You may have guessed from my reporting of the other Dancing Man ales above, that their ales are un-fined, thus hazy is the norm, and they appear proud of this fact. Here, I tried their 'Best Bitter' Old Fashioned (3.9%), brewed with Bramling Cross hops (hopslist), slightly hazy, a light traditional English bitter, gentle malt and hints of fruit, and very easy to drink.

My final port of call before heading towards the football was London Road Brew House, 67-75 London Road SO15 2AB (facebook). It used to be The Varsity pub, but little information seems available, brewing on the premises, but nothing really up to date available about that either, but it appears to be a rebuild with slightly art deco frontage following bombing in World War II.

I drank here, what I believe was Greene King Scrumdown Golden Ale (4.1%), brewed with Pilgrim (how suitable for this blog! hopslist), First Gold (hopslist) and Styrian (hopslist) hops. Certainly golden, quite refreshing ale, not overly fruity, floral or spicy, easy to knock back.

I'll not mention the match, trying to forget, but cheers m'dears, 'til next time! 😁