Beer drinkers that appreciate the sophistication, artistry, and delicious flavors of cask-conditioned ales (aka real ales) are always on the prowl for exemplary cask ale events. And the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting (ACAT) is one of those events. ACAT provides one of the U.S.’s premiere real ale events.  Moreover, ACAT offers the opportunity to try numerous cask-conditioned ales.

As described by London’s Independent Real Ale Guide – “Real ale or cask-conditioned beer is a natural, living product.  At the end of the production process – using the finest malted barley, hops, yeast and pure water – the beer is not filtered, pasteurized or artificially carbonated. It’s placed into casks (called firkins), often with extra hops for aroma, and delivered in unfinished form to pubs.  Here the beer enjoys a secondary fermentation in cask that creates a full, mature flavor.  In UK pubs, when the yeast has settled, the beer is drawn by the familiar hand-pump attached to a suction pump known as a beer engine.  Some pubs without cellars still serve beer straight from the cask using a simple gravity tap.”

Early Doors Pub Bitter Cask Ale at Yorkshire Square Brewery

Cask ales offer nuanced, complex aromas and flavors, presented gentler on the palate due to the natural fermentation. Done correctly, cask ales are spectacular works of brewing artistry. As pointed out by Owen Ogletree, ACAT’s creator, “Every small aspect of conditioning, handling, and aging can alter the profile of a cask ale, so each cask can exhibit subtle differences.” Certainly, cask ale provides one of the few genuinely different, sublime experiences left in beer.

Finding traditional, classic English-style cask-conditioned ales, like Bitter, Pale Ale, Stout and even Dark Mild, in the U.S. is challenging. Only a handful of U.S. breweries specialize in this arena. However, many U.S. breweries feature a “Cask Night” that provides a cask-conditioned beer, usually a one-off specialty version of a beer in their normal line-up.

However, ACAT provides the opportunity to try traditional English-style (or classic) cask ales as well as specialty cask ales. And for a very modest price, you can try around 55 different, rare cask conditioned beers, ciders and meads.

Above all, the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting provides an opportunity to try cask ale at its best.

Coming 9 January 2021, the 17th Annual ACAT delivers a cask ale drinkers dream opportunity for outstanding beer. And you can purchase tickets here: http://www.classiccitybrew.com/acat.html. Moreover, going to ACAT also provides the opportunity to visit many of the great breweries in the Atlanta area.