There'll be more beery fun like this in Edmonton. (Shot is of the firkin explosion at the Half Pints / Sugar Bowl Cask in October - and courtesy of Erika.)
Breaking News! I learned just today (some of you who get out more may already know) that Alley Kat is partnering with the newly refurbished Next Act Pub (8224 104 Street) to start up a second monthly cask ale event. The first cask will be tapped this coming TUESDAY (November 9) at 5:00.
The new owners of the Next Act have renovated extensively and want to upgrade their beer selection and service. This sounds like a pretty damned good way to build rapport with the beer lovers in town.
I am particularly pleased about this bit of news, as it was only a few months ago that on this website I bemoaned Edmonton’s lack of cask tradition – unfavourably comparing us to Vancouver, Quebec and even Regina and Winnipeg. Half Pint’s Dave gave me a swift kick in the butt, reminding me that only losers sit and complain without doing something about it. So I helped get the good folks at Alley Kat and the also good folks at Sugar Bowl together.
The Sugar Bowl cask events have been quite successful. The place is usually packed, and the beer gone within 60-90 minutes. The Sugar Bowl cask events are now going to be on a regular night – so you can mark your calendars for the next year. It will be the THIRD THURSDAY of every month – at 5:00 of course. That means the next one is November 18. I have also heard that they are thinking of moving them to bi-weekly events, likely in the new year.
That would bring Edmonton to 3 cask nights per month, at two different locations. That starts to look respectable, and will require me to retract my previous lamentations. And maybe the momentum will keep going and other pubs will partner with other Edmonton area breweries to do their own cask night. Casks of Roughneck’s new IPA would be pretty sweet, for example. And Amber’s beer is always creative – imagine tossing some extra mountain pepper berries in the cask?
I can also report the beer for the next two casks. The Next Act cask will be Full Moon dry-hopped with whole-hop Centennial hops (meaning the whole hop flower, not just pellets). The November Sugar Bowl cask will be a coffee porter.
So, kids, circle those calendars, set the alarm on your smart phone or simply just camp out at the two pubs for the next few weeks. There’s a lot of cask a-comin’.
November 4, 2010 at 7:20 AM
I had a sample of the Coffee Porter from the conditioning tank and it is making me rethink my dislike of coffee.
November 4, 2010 at 2:32 PM
Is there a particular reason why they tap these casks at 5:00pm during the week? By the time we 9 to 5:30 types can get to the pub, there usually isn’t anything left. I’m all for skipping out early to drink beer, but that isn’t normally possible.
November 4, 2010 at 4:07 PM
Brady,
A fair point. 5:00 is a pretty traditional time across Canada and even in Britain for these kind of one-off events. I guess that is why they are picking them. Plus I imagine the pub/cafe owners like the extra crowd earlier – by 8:00 they are usually pretty busy with regulars and so don’t need the extra people.
Your best bet is to get a friend with a more flexible schedule to show up at 4:30 and order one for you. Then when you get there at 5:30, it is waiting for you…
Hope you make it to one soon.
Jason
November 7, 2010 at 11:49 AM
I just noticed(on the Transcend site)that they’re having a ‘Winter Beer’-stouts, porters,etc-tasting on the 21. It sounds like a real evening, as some food will be served & it’s a ticketed event. It starts at 7, tickets are $40 & they say to expect out-of-the-ordinary beers(for $40 I’d expect at least 6 ). Click on ‘coffee’ & you’ll see it mentioned in the right-hand margin, under ‘new products’ http://transcendcoffee.com *cheers*
November 7, 2010 at 12:54 PM
Thanks for the heads up Darrell. I had heard about this, but haven’t had a chance to follow up on it. Could be fun.
Jason