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! 🍺

Beermeister Abroad: in the USA!

 

This blog includes information and photographs shared with me by my brother (he doesn't want his face included so you'll just see bits of him in this blog 😉) and by his wife Shirin, many thanks to them as I haven't crossed the Atlantic for many years! The image above with Beermeister cap was taken earlier in the year on the opposite side of the U.S.A. to where the rest of the photographs were taken (except that immediately below) with Tom's Restaurant (website) in the background, used as the outside of the fictional Monk's Cafe in the television comedy series Seinfeld (youtube). Also the inspiration for Suzanne Vega's song Tom's Diner (youtube).

The first cap is an older model, I no longer have that domain, but the latest Beermeister cap is in the image immediately above, crossing over to Gibraltar from Africa, they do get around! 😉

So, to Dan and Shirin's more recent visit to the U.S.A. where they started off in California and drove up the West Coast and back. I'm not sure of the route they took exactly, but I'm recreating it as from North to South when dealing with the breweries, beers and bars below. The photograph above includes Mount Shasta, California, in the background (website).

Bar-wise (and brewery-wise) I'm starting with Fort George Brewery (and Pub), 1483 Duane Street, Astoria, Oregon 97103 (website), excuse the lighting in these images, they arrived quite late in the day I believe, and consequently were hungry, see next image! 😁 

And so a hearty meal was enjoyed, plus a glass or two of Fort George 3-Way IPA (7.0%); more of further down, as 4 cans were brought back as part of their gift for me, cheers! 👍

Whilst in Astoria they also visited the, very close by, Astoria Brewing Company, 144 11th Street, Astoria, Oregon 97103 (facebook); either earlier in the day, or on another day (as it's brighter in this photograph). Here, whilst overlooking the Columbia River, Dan drank the Astoria IPA (6.8%), brewed with Citra (hopslist) and El Dorado (hopslist) hops, consequently packed with citrus and tropical fruit flavours, and enjoyed immensely I'm told! 👌

The next 4 photographs were taken back in California at Kern River Brewing Company, 13415 Sierra Way, Kernville CA 93238 (website), including the 2 colourful hanging tin advertising signs shown above (Isabella Blonde) and below (IPA).

Shirin drank the Kern River Lovely Kettle Sour (4.7%). I cannot find out what hops are used in the brew, but it appears it's flavoured with raspberries. Shirin described it as "quite light, tart and fruity, and delicious" - she obviously enjoyed it, cheers Shirin! 🍷

Dan drank the Kern River Lhazy River IPA (7.0%), brewed with Mosaic (hopslist), Citra (hopslist), and Amarillo (hopslist), hops. Look at those hops! Consequently very fruity, including orange and mango, 'hazy' as described in the title, and a 'New England' style of IPA. Dan told me he enjoyed it, as people will be aware I'm not a hazy beer drinker, but hey ho! 😏

The next beer was imbibed outside a bar at Venice Beach, Los Angeles, they didn't tell me the name of the bar when sending the photograph, oh well, never mind, but I do know the beer and its origin! It was from Old Stump Brewing Co of Pomona, California (website), and their 5.8% slightly hazy Mosey Cat IPA, brewed with Mosaic hops (hopslist), after which it is named. Another 'New England' style of IPA and, unsurprisingly, knowing that hop, very fruity.

Finally, I reach the beer I have actually imbibed, and alluded to above, Fort George (website) 3-Way IPA (7.0%), a collaboration with 2 other breweries, apparently each year they collaborate with 2 different breweries and uses different recipes. 2025 is a collaboration with Mirage Beer of Seattle (website) and Sunriver Brewing of Oregon (website).

The 2025 3-Way IPA is brewed with Krush aka HBC 586 (Yakima Chief Hops), Waimea (hopslist), and Nelson Sauvin (hopslist) hops; the website also suggests hops including Columbus (hopslist) and Strata (Indie Hops) are used too. Another 'New England' style IPA, but I carefully poured the beer out of the can, so it wasn't as hazy for me; if you enjoy hazier beers I suggest shaking the can when there's just a wee bit of beer left in it for full lumpiness 😉Anyway, it was packed full of citrus and tropical fruitiness, with a nice slightly bitter dry finish, I liked it! 

You should have noticed that I drank the 3-Way IPA out of another pressie from Dan and Shirin, a Kern River glass, many thanks once again bro and sis, cheers m'dears! 🍻