Cask Ale and Real Ale — Britain's Living Beer Tradition

Cask conditioning is the traditional British brewing method — before refrigeration and CO2 technology, all British beer was conditioned in the cask. The CAMRA movement was formed in 1971 specifically to protect this tradition against the dominance of pasteurised keg beer promoted by the major breweries. CAMRA now has over 200,000 members — the largest consumer advocacy group in UK history.

Real ale (also known as cask-conditioned beer or cask ale) is Britain's most distinctive contribution to world beer culture — unpasteurised, unfiltered ale that undergoes its final fermentation and carbonation in the cask (typically a 9-gallon firkin, 18-gallon kilderkin, or 36-gallon barrel) from which it is served directly, typically via a handpump that uses mechanical action (rather than CO2 pressure) to draw the beer. The result is a naturally carbonated, 'alive' beer of soft texture, subtle carbonation, and full flavour that cannot be replicated by filtered or pasteurised beer. CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), founded in 1971 by Michael Hardman, Graham Lees, Jim Makin, and Bill Mellor in protest against the replacement of traditional cask ale with pasteurised keg beer, has been the most successful consumer beer advocacy movement in history — transforming a category in terminal decline to one of the UK's most valued drinking traditions. The annual Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) and CAMRA's Champion Beer of Britain competition are the world's most prestigious cask ale events.

FOOD PAIRING: Cask ale's living character makes it exceptional with traditional British pub food from the Provenance 1000 recipes: Timothy Taylor Landlord: Ploughman's Lunch (the definitive cask ale and food pairing — Cheddar, pickled onion, crusty bread), Steak and Kidney Pudding, Pork Scratchings. Harvey's Sussex Best: Rarebit (Welsh/Sussex cheese toast), Fish and Chips, Stilton. Fuller's ESB: Sausages and Mash, Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding.