Save our cask ale heritage!
STAR EMAIL
FROM: HARRIET ELEY
I’ve worked my whole adult life in the beer industry (from pot washer in pubs to marketing) so I feel I must comment on the description of cask ale in The Great Christmas Drinks refresh [Dec, p137].
I support experimentation. I’m a craft beer drinker and love what it has brought to Britain, so it was devastating to see the line “falling asleep over dull, brown, old-fashioned cask ales” in print.
Cask ale is Britain’s beer heritage. It has a rich history of regional diversity, of small producers, of generations of brewers learning their craft, and it has a huge variety of styles and flavours. It struggled to survive the 70s, 80s and 90s when bland, over-gassed ‘lagers’ reigned supreme.
The biggest danger to this wonderful product is the perception that cask ale is ‘flat, dull and warm’ and drunk by ‘old men’ – which discourages potential drinkers from even trying it, let alone visiting some of Britain’s oldest and best pubs, where fantastic ranges of expertly selected and cared-for ales shine.
We have lost so much of our food and drink heritage. While European countries have protected the origins and championed the uniqueness of their cheese, charcuterie, wine, butter and more, we lost or threw most of ours away. Please be mindful of how you represent cask ale, so it remains part of our culture and not our history. Drinks editor Susy Atkins responds: “I’m sorry you were disappointed. It was an entirely humorous piece, meant in a frivolous festive spirit (I like sweet sherry too!) but I do understand the point you make about cask ale deserving more serious attention – there are many that are anything but dull and old fashioned. I’ll put this right with more positive beer recommendations in 2020.”
*A FULL MAINLAND UK DELIVERY ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER MUST BE SUPPLIED. ENTRANTS MUST BE OVER 18. FOR FULL TS&CS, TURN TO P126. PHOTOGRAPHS: CRAIG ROBERTSON, TOBY SCOTT, CLARE WINFIELD