Franconian Beer Message Board

Cask Ale in Oregon is mostly
Posted by Nick B. on 2015-06-24 10:35:20
not really cask-conditioned, but keg beer run through a hand pump. Which is still better than keg, because it drives off the excessive CO2.

I called in at the new (to me) Hopworks brewpub in Portland the other day. I was delighted to see a couple of hand pumps, and the beer was indeed OK (Amber Ale, IPA at 6.5%). When I asked about it, he explained that no, it's not conditioned in the barrel, but is just a regular keg, with blanket CO2 to replace the beer as it's pumped out. I did indeed compare little tasters of hand-pumped and regular keg of both the IPA and Amber Ale, and the hand-pumped stuff was much better. Basically the same, but with a properly British amount of CO2, not the usual Yankofizz.

I BELIEVE Bridgeport still does proper cask-conditioning, and a stop in their yuppo/hipster complex revealed 3 (?) handpumps. I only bothered with the sublime IPA (~5.5%) on Sunday. A half of Lucky Lab's cask beer yesterday, a 6.x% stout, was going a bit sour. They're good people there, and I could've taken it back, but it was still OK.

Also, Barry, the presence or absence of cellars in pubs is a difference between the US & the UK, I reckon.

Today, I'm headed south to Corvallis, and there's a new brewpub in Salem along the way that apparently does just cask beer. http://www.santiambrewing.com/ Check that...4 cask beers, the rest keg. I believe I shall have to investigate.

At any rate, Portland has changed quite a bit in 9 years. Haven't observed any ex-pat Seattleites yet, but they're probably hard to spot.

Ah, and yes -- the Machine House brewery from Seattle mentioned above....an excellent, excellent dark mild of 3.7%, in fine form at the Green Dragon pub! One to seek out.
 
Followups:
                                     Cask Ale in Oregon is mostly by Nick B. on  2015-06-24 10:42:52
                                     Cask Ale in Oregon is mostly by Barry on  2015-06-25 02:43:52
                                       Cask Ale in Oregon is mostly by Nick B. on  2015-06-25 09:41:56
                                         Cask Ale in Oregon is mostly by Jason on  2015-07-01 02:05:55
                                           Berm in Oregon is mostly by Nick B. on  2015-07-04 03:04:06
                                             Germanic Beer in Oregon is mostly Excellent by Nick B. on  2015-07-04 03:05:01