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CASK ALE AT NOD HILL
GREAT ENGLISH-STYLE CASK ALE IS HARD TO COME BY IN THE STATES.
WE STRIVE TO OFFER AN AUTHENTIC UK-STYLE DRINKING EXPERIENCE AT OUR BREWERY TAPROOM, WITH TWO BEER ENGINES SERVING NATURALLY CONDITIONED, CELLAR COOL (50-55°F) CASK ALES.
WE DO SO BECAUSE WE BELIEVE NOTHING COMPARES TO A PROPERLY CELLARED & LOVINGLY SERVED PINT OF REAL ALE, & WE'D LOVE TO SHOW YOU WHY.
WE FOCUS ON BREWING & SERVING SESSION STRENGTH, TRADITIONAL ENGLISH STYLES THAT SHINE WITH PARTICULAR BEAUTY WHEN SERVED OFF THE HAND PUMP.
WE ARE PROUD TO BE ONE OF A SMALL HANDFUL OF AMERICAN ESTABLISHMENTS RECOGNIZED WITH CASK MARQUE ACCREDITATION.
"I fell in love with cask ale when I lived in London for a spell after graduating college. I got a job pulling pints at a pub called the White Horse on Parsons Green, which had a reputation as the best beer bar in London. The careful attention paid to these mysterious British beers by the head cellarman made me realize something special was happening here. There was a magical quality to how the beer was treated as a living, breathing thing. I loved the earthy flavors of these humble yet beguiling beers, the connection with history, and the culture that surrounded drinking them in the pub. When I came back home and got really into homebrewing, making the sort of beer that would shine on cask was always in the back of my mind."
- DAVID KAYE
Nod Hill co-founder David Kaye behind the bar at the White Horse on Parsons Green, London. 2007.
WHAT MAKES CASK ALE DIFFERENT?
WHEN BEER IS FINISHED FERMENTING, BUT HAS NOT YET BEEN CARBONATED, WE TRANSFER IT TO CASKS, PERHAPS ALONG WITH A DOSE OF HOPS & ALWAYS WITH A SMALL QUANTITY OF SUGAR & YEAST. THIS KICKS OFF A SECONDARY FERMENTATION - THE YEAST CONSUMES THE SUGAR, CREATING C02 AS A BYPRODUCT. THE BEER IN THE CASK BECOMES NATURALLY CARBONATED, A PROCESS WHICH TAKES ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
AT THIS POINT, WE PLACE THE CASKS IN A TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED SPACE UNDER OUR BAR WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THEM AT CELLAR TEMPERATURE [BETWEEN 50-55°F]. WE VENT THE TOP OF EACH CASK TO ALLOW EXCESS C02 TO BE RELEASED, CONNECT IT TO THE BEER ENGINE, AND SERVE WHEN READY USING THE HAND PUMP TO PULL BEER FROM THE CASK.
EACH OF THESE PROCESSES HELPS CREATE A DISTINCT DRINKING EXPERIENCE
1) NATURAL CARBONATION = LESS GAS, GENTLER BUBBLES, EASIER DRINKING
2) CELLAR TEMPERATURE = ALLOWS MORE EXPRESSION OF FLAVOR & AROMA
3) VENTING = SINCE CASK IS OPEN TO AIR, OXYGEN SUBTLY CHANGES THE BEER'S FLAVOR OVER THE 2-4 DAYS THE CASK IS POURING
CASK ALE IS CONSIDERED LIVING BEER BECAUSE IT IS UNFILTERED & STILL CONTAINS THE YEAST MICROBES FROM SECONDARY FERMENTATION. WHILE OUR DRAFT & CANNED BEER IS ALSO UNFILTERED, IT HAS NOT RECEIVED THAT SECOND DOSE OF YEAST & INSTEAD IS FORCE-CARBONATED (ie CARBON DIOXIDE IS DIRECTLY RELEASED INTO THE STILL BEER).
OUR CASK ALES
IF YOU VISIT OUR TAPROOM, YOU'LL FIND WE TYPICALLY HAVE ONE OR TWO OF THE FOLLOWING BEERS ON CASK. [YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S CURRENTLY BEING OFFERED HERE]
PRIDE OF RIDGEFIELD - ENGLISH-STYLE GOLDEN ALE 4.3%
EYNSHAM - DARK MILD 3.5%
CHESTERFIELD - ORDINARY BITTER 3.5%
PARSONS GREEN - BEST BITTER 4.6%
TOPSTONE - EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER 5.9%
COZY SNUG - IRISH DRY STOUT 4.1%
RIDGE RED - IRISH RED ALE 4.5%
PROPER CHAP - ENGLISH-STYLE BROWN ALE 4.4%
THIEF'S CLOAK - OATMEAL STOUT 6.2%
IN ADDITION TO THESE HOUSE-BREWED ALES, WE OCCASIONALLY FEATURE CASKS FROM OUR BREWERY FRIENDS THAT SHARE OUR PASSION FOR TRADITIONAL REAL ALE.
