Since 1870 we’ve lived and breathed malting. With this passion and expertise, and by combining traditional and modern techniques, we create an impressive range of malted and non-malted products, including several unique and exclusive barley malts.
There is nothing more we love than talking to brewers and distillers so if you have any questions, or would like to arrange a call with a member of our team, please feel free to get in touch – we would love to hear from you!
National Cask Ale Week 2024 runs across the UK, Thursday 19th to Sunday 29th September. Whether or not your brewery has involved itself, it’s a good time to have a think about the wonder that is cask-conditioned beer.
You’ll be aware of a bothersome narrative going on about struggling sales and inability to attract young people to the category. But, let’s hazard a guess: if you produce cask beer, you’re not giving up on it.
Quite right.
SIBA reports that their members’ cask volumes increased by 10% year-on-year from 2022 to 2023, and went up to 63% of all their 2023 beer production1.
More people are understanding, aspiring to, and following the trends set by foodies. They are increasingly interested in sourdough bread and in real ales. They can immerse themselves in modern beer culture at the same time as valuing and supporting Britain’s proud cask tradition.
At Crisp, we’re interested in all styles and formats of beer, but our history is intrinsically liked with cask. Our history is intrinsically linked with it. It plays a vital role in encouraging people to the pub. When served in best condition, it’s pretty special.
There’s no hiding place for the brewer, nor for the licensee with cask. Quality is critical every step of the way. And (here comes our declaration of interest!) high-quality malts are crucial to great cask ales.
So, this Cask Ale Week, here are five positives in support of your production and active promotion of cask beer:
At a time when British consumers are increasingly focused on BIG flavours, it can be hard for producers to square the circle. While beer doesn’t have health written all over it, brewers have an ace up their sleeve in the form of cask ale.
There’s probably no other method of dispense that offers so much flavour at such low ABVs.
Perhaps we should say such a range of flavours. And aromas – which, with the looser head, have more opportunity to emerge and waft delightfully into the nasal passages!
There’s now more beer bought in the off trade than the on trade. We all know the reasons why. There’s a significant disparity in price between supermarket and pub. Homes are more comfortable than they used to be. There’s the pull of home entertainment (an explosion of TV channels, gaming, etc). Online deliveries make everything easy. The pandemic got people into the habit. And so on.
Cask beer is served in containers that are re-used for decades. Re-used, not recycled.
Home drinking means cans and bottles which can be recycled, but, sadly, once emptied, only a small proportion ever make the recycling bin. The mining of silica sand and bauxite is those small pack containers creates huge carbon footprint and causes damage to the environment.
So for consumers increasingly conscious of the Earth’s finite resources – and keen to support sustainable consumption, cask beer makes for a great choice. Breweries could maybe do more to promote this…?
Plus, cask beer is more likely to be local, thus cutting down on food / drink miles. Delicious and virtuous – that’s hard to beat.
An astute observer once said that if cask ale were Italian, British consumers would be all over it. It’s certainly true that it has all the attributes that make Italian cuisine so appealing, being flavourful, approachable and with deep roots in the culture of its native land.
What makes cask ale even more appealing, though, is that it combines this depth of tradition with a willingness to try new things, and to take influence from around the world. It evolves, constantly, but it’s still noticeably the same product.
It’s the embodiment of British pragmatism, and there’s plenty to be said for that, especially when it tastes so good.
British brewers have plenty of geographical advantages – not least easy access to the best malt in the world!
If you’re already a Crisp customer, you’ll know that we’ve got all the malts you need to brew wonderful beers. To remind yourself of the wide choice, take another look at our malts. You may find something you haven’t yet tried!
Maris Otter tastes good in most circumstances, but it’s particularly delicious in a glass of cask beer. Then there’s Chevallier, the malt that provided the backbone to most of Britain’s legendary 19th-century ales, now available once again from Crisp. It has potent nutty, biscuity aromas; once you’ve tried it, you’ll be hooked.
Whatever you’re brewing, though, we’ve got what you need.
While true cask-heads drink it throughout the year, for many it’s something to look forward to when the summer ends and the temperature drops. It’s around now that customers start seeking out the flavour and complexity of cask ale, with its not so cold temperature and its malt-inclined character.
A few years back, the Cask Report said there were around 10,000 different cask beers brewed in a year. That signals a whole bunch of brewers, publicans and drinkers devoted to this wonderful drink.
Talking Cask in Cask Ale Week (or any time)
If you want to discuss your cask offering, production, recipes, ingredients, advice to licensees on care, technical issues, anything really, have a chat with your main Crisp contact or ping an email to sales@crispmalt.com.
Let’s talk cask: the tradition of yesteryear and the taste of today and tomorrow.
1 SIBA Independent Beer Report 2024
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