See why the ACAT is one of the best annual
beer events in Georgia’s capital.
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| Owen Ogletree sippin'.Photo courtesy of Owen Ogletree |
There’s no
mystery that I love featuring fellow beer lovers on this site who are pioneers,
brewers, visionaries and simply folks who truly appreciate the craft of brewing.
With that being said, I want you to meet Owen
Ogletree, one of the main reasons behind Georgia’s growth as a legitimate
craft beer supporter and provider. Owen’s a beer writer, a beer traveler who annually
hosts kickass beer tours in Europe, a BJCP National beer judge, and the editor
for www.Brewtopia.info. And if that’s
not enough, he is the founder and director of two beer sippin’ events that sell
out every year: the Classic City BrewFest and Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting.
With the latter just around the corner (Saturday,
January 26th from 3 to 6 pm to be exact), I thought it would be awesome to
interview “Double O” and pick his brain regarding casks, why everyone goes
crazy over them, and what to expect with the upcoming Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting
that will be held at the Prado in Sandy Springs between the patios of 5 SeasonsBrewery and Taco Mac. Trust me, it’s a blast so try and snatch a ticket before
it sells out again! You know I will be there!
Without
further ado, here’s Owen kicking it with your homey, Ale!
Ale: How did the Cask Ale Tasting start?
Owen Ogletree: I fell in love with cask
conditioned ale on my many trips to the UK and made the trek back in the '90s
to the Chicago Real Ale Festival. I wanted to introduce cask ales to Georgia,
so I purchased some used firkins from a supplier in England and spread these
around to local brewers in the Southeast to fill for a small event held in the
brewery at SweetWater nine years ago. The event was packed and turned out to be
a smash hit.
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| A cask ale pumped at the Wrecking Bar. |
I can dig it. What is the best thing
about the Cask Tasting that people love?
It’s
a fun, very social event that allows everyone to taste cask ales that have
several special, one-off ingredients or processes. Attendees also enjoy walking
from 5 Seasons to Taco Mac and seeing how the casks compare in our different
locations.
What are the basic differences with a
cask and regular kegs?
Kegged
beer is filtered, heat pasteurized and carbonated with artificial CO2 gas; it’s
basically "dead" beer. Real ale or cask-conditioned beer is a
natural, living product. At the end of fermentation, the beer is not filtered, pasteurized
or artificially carbonated. It's placed into casks (called firkins)—often with
extra hops for aroma—and delivered in unfinished form to pubs. Here, the beer
enjoys a secondary fermentation in a cask that creates a soft carbonation
sparkle and wonderful, subtle complexities. In UK pubs, when the yeast has
settled, the beer is drawn by a hand-pump attached to a suction pump known as a
beer engine. Some pubs without cellars still serve beer straight from the cask
using a simple gravity tap. The Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting uses simple gravity
taps to serve its real ales.
Yeah, they definitely take pride in serving
from the casks in particularly the UK. I had a blast trying them when in London.
Places like the Wrecking Bar, 5 Seasons, The Porter, Brick Store and a few
others keep it real with the hand pump, but there are still some haters out
there. What are some of the misconceptions?
Some
people think that cask ale is warm, murky and flat. Not true. Great cask ales
should be served at cool cellar temperatures (around 50 degrees F), be almost
clear, and have a soft, natural carbonation that doesn't interfere with the
subtle complexities of the malt, hops and fermentation character.
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| Owen hard at work during Max Larger's 2012 Homebrew Competition |
Which brings us to your awesome event. How
has the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting grown throughout the years?
We've
kept ACAT on the small side to allow attendees to have space to relax and enjoy
the beers without having to wait in lines. What has grown is the number of
casks available. 15 real ales were on tap the first year, and our 2013 event
will include almost 40.
Well damn!
Yep!
In the beginning, we tried to allow brewers to donate the cask ales as
experimental homebrews and allow attendees in for free—with the option of
making a donation to the Atlanta Humane Society. Georgia told us that all
homebrews must, by law, be consumed in the home, and microbreweries could not
allow tasting of beers not made in the brewery. These restrictions forced us to
arrange the purchase of all our cask ales through distributors and move ACAT to
5 Seasons Sandy Springs and Taco Mac Prado. I contact the breweries months in
advance and ship out empty casks for filling with extra special brews for the
event.
There’s always some crazy law hating on
brew. Oh well. I still appreciate the dedication. What is the best beer you
have ever had at the Cask Ale Tasting and what was the worst?
I
love classic beer styles that have been cask conditioned. We had a cask of Heavy Seas Loose Cannon one year that
was absolutely amazing— tons of crisp hops, perfect carbonation and clean malt.
Yummy! The worst casks are the ones that brewers often put in the firkin too
early with too much residual sugar and murky yeast. This does not happen often,
but it leads to a very fizzy, foamy, muddy cask ale. Not pleasant.
What can we expect this year?
Almost
40 amazing cask ales from the best craft breweries in the USA and UK.
Everything from light golden ales to oak-aged imperial stouts will be up for
sampling. In the morning, a team of dedicated beer judges taste all the casks
to award prizes that will be announced at the public event.
And the last question I am sure you will
love: How can people get tickets?
For
tickets and full information, simply head to www.ClassicCityBrew.com/acat.html. We hope to
see everyone at ACAT on January 26!
You know I’m in the house!
See you there, Double O!
Thanks
go out to you, Ale, for taking the time to help spread the joy of cask ale!
Anytime!
