New England Real Ale Exhibition
Last night I attended the New England Real Ale Exhibition in Somerville, Mass. It was the tenth annual festival and featured 'real ales' from both the U.K. and New England.
Real ale refers to a brewing method in the British tradition that differs from beers more widely available in the United States. It undergoes two stages of fermentation: one in the brewery, and then a second in the vessel in from which it is transported and served. This vessel can be either a bottle or a brewer's cask.
Real ale is not pasteurized or filtered, and it is tapped from the cask using a hand pump or simple gravity tap. Traditional real ale has lower carbonation and a wider array or flavors and aromas than its more 'popular' counterparts.
The alternatives to cask ales are the 'popular' beers that are served from kegs. These kegs are kept colder; they can be stored longer after they are tapped, do not require elaborate cellaring, and are easier to pour. These benefits have led to the prominence of keg beers, and the near-extinction of cask-conditioned ales.
During the year I lived in London, I drank cask ales constantly. There was a pub on every corner, and each of these pubs had about four cask ales on tap at any given time. I learned to love these ales; the low carbonation and slightly warmer serving temperature allowed me to notice qualities and complexities of beer tastes that I had not noticed before. They are smooth, flavorful, and delicious.
The Real Ale Exhibition allowed me to return to some of these London tastes. The first beer I sampled was Fuller's London Pride - my favorite beer to drink in London (and my favorite beer, full stop). The next ale I sampled was Brains Dark, a beer brewed in Cardiff, Wales (which I drank and enjoyed during my two day visit to that city in March 2005).
My third ale was from an American brewer - Midnight Madness Smoked Porter from Rock Art Brewery in Morrisville, Vt. This ale tasted surprisingly like the Brains dark, with roast and caramel flavors and a delicious, lasting finish of malt and roast that stays in your nose.
The final ale I sampled was another Welsh beer - Breconshire's Golden Valley. This ale was unlike any of the other ales I sampled. It was crisper, fruitier, and a bit more complex. I enjoyed it, but liked it less than the first three beers. Golden Valley was perhaps a bit too complex for its own good, not quite balancing its fruity flavor with enough hops. It was not quite bitter enough.
The festival was crowded and hot. There was a line to get in, on which we waited for about 30 minutes. Once in the room, it was cramped and hard to get around. The number of people at the event testifies to its popularity and success, and indicates some hope for the real ale movement in the United States. But it also means that it is time for the annual festival to change venues to a place that is quieter and more spacious, providing a pleasant and relaxing ale-drinking environment.
Despite the crowds, I enjoyed the Real Ale Exhibition, and look forward to returning again in years to come.
Real ale refers to a brewing method in the British tradition that differs from beers more widely available in the United States. It undergoes two stages of fermentation: one in the brewery, and then a second in the vessel in from which it is transported and served. This vessel can be either a bottle or a brewer's cask.
Real ale is not pasteurized or filtered, and it is tapped from the cask using a hand pump or simple gravity tap. Traditional real ale has lower carbonation and a wider array or flavors and aromas than its more 'popular' counterparts.
The alternatives to cask ales are the 'popular' beers that are served from kegs. These kegs are kept colder; they can be stored longer after they are tapped, do not require elaborate cellaring, and are easier to pour. These benefits have led to the prominence of keg beers, and the near-extinction of cask-conditioned ales.
During the year I lived in London, I drank cask ales constantly. There was a pub on every corner, and each of these pubs had about four cask ales on tap at any given time. I learned to love these ales; the low carbonation and slightly warmer serving temperature allowed me to notice qualities and complexities of beer tastes that I had not noticed before. They are smooth, flavorful, and delicious.
The Real Ale Exhibition allowed me to return to some of these London tastes. The first beer I sampled was Fuller's London Pride - my favorite beer to drink in London (and my favorite beer, full stop). The next ale I sampled was Brains Dark, a beer brewed in Cardiff, Wales (which I drank and enjoyed during my two day visit to that city in March 2005).
My third ale was from an American brewer - Midnight Madness Smoked Porter from Rock Art Brewery in Morrisville, Vt. This ale tasted surprisingly like the Brains dark, with roast and caramel flavors and a delicious, lasting finish of malt and roast that stays in your nose.
The final ale I sampled was another Welsh beer - Breconshire's Golden Valley. This ale was unlike any of the other ales I sampled. It was crisper, fruitier, and a bit more complex. I enjoyed it, but liked it less than the first three beers. Golden Valley was perhaps a bit too complex for its own good, not quite balancing its fruity flavor with enough hops. It was not quite bitter enough.
The festival was crowded and hot. There was a line to get in, on which we waited for about 30 minutes. Once in the room, it was cramped and hard to get around. The number of people at the event testifies to its popularity and success, and indicates some hope for the real ale movement in the United States. But it also means that it is time for the annual festival to change venues to a place that is quieter and more spacious, providing a pleasant and relaxing ale-drinking environment.
Despite the crowds, I enjoyed the Real Ale Exhibition, and look forward to returning again in years to come.
posted by rtkelly at 9:46 AM
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