All beers are not created equal. This is because of the varying degrees of creativity the artists known as brewers show up to work with every day. One area of creativity that remains a mystery to many beer enthusiasts is cask beer or cask ale. One good place to experience this rarer style of beer is the 2nd Shift’s annual Cask Festival, on December 4th.
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Cask Beer
The art of brewing and serving cask beer is one that dates back hundreds of years but continues to this day. Simply defined in 2022, cask beer is served fresh from a wooden barrel, traditionally, or a metal cask, more common nowadays; kept at cellar temperature (50-55 degrees versus a refrigerator’s 35-40), and lightly carbonated by the digestive action of living yeast. Yes, compared to a brisk, bubbly keg pour, it’s warm(ish) and flat(ish).
“Cask beer will have a different “mouth feel” as you are not using CO2 to carbonate, the beer is naturally carbonated by secondary fermentation in the cask. Slightly effervescent with a nice frothy head are attributes of a quality cask beer,” said Scott Pelizzaro of 2nd Shift Brewing, which is preparing for its annual Cask Fest celebration on December 4th.
Cask Festival
Cask Festival 2022 is back and will take place in the St. Louis taproom. You’ll find casks from several local breweries, as well as casks from brewing friends near and far.
“The casks 2nd Shift will pour at Cask Festival will be one-off beers from us. They may use a base of a beer that is a recipe you’ve had before, but might be adjuncted or barrel-aged. Or it may be a brand-new recipe. There’s only one way to find out,” said Pelizzaro.
2nd Shift, as well as all the guest breweries, meaderies, and wineries, should be pouring at least two different styles of cask ales during the festival. Right now more than 40 guests are expected, so it’s sure to be a taster’s dream with some fantastic liquid gold, you may never get the chance to try again.
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Here is the guest list as of now. Pelizzaro says he is compiling a finalized list now and will have a complete pour list available on the day of the festival.
Guest Breweries
18th Street Brewery
4 Hands Brewing Company
608 Brewing Company
Alematic Artisan Ales
Birds Fly South Ale Project
BKS Artisan Ales
Bluewood Brewing
Branch & Bone Artisan Ales
Central Standard Brewing
Cigar City Brewing
Coffeestamp (Coffee)
Crane Brewing
Forbidden Root Brewing
Free Will Brewing Co
Good Word Brewing
Logboat Brewing Co
Lupulin Brewing Company
Main & Mill Brewing Company
Mighty Kind Seltzer (NA Seltzer & CBD Water)
Millpond Brewery & Incubator
Modern Brewery
Mondo Brewing Company
Narrow Gauge Brewing Company
Off Color Brewing
Perennial Artisan Ales
Public House Brewing Company
Revolution Brewing
Rowley Farmhaus Ales
Scratch Brewing Company
Southside Alchemy (Sangria)
Speciation Artisan Ales
Stubborn German Brewing Company
The Big Rip Brewing Co
Third Wheel Brewing
Transient Artisan Ales
Wiseacre Brewing Co.
Wooden Robot Brewery
Yazoo (Embrace the Funk)
