Cask Ale

Northern Monk to give bar snack-themed beer profits to pubs

18-Apr-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Craft brewer Northern Monk has launched three beers into pubs that have been inspired by some of the most popular pub snacks in the UK.

Beer Report 2023

BEER REPORT: Most popular beer styles revealed

17-Apr-2023 By Phil Mellows

Premiumisation has been the word, if an awkward word, for as long as any of us can remember.

The Cask Project

Fire power launch from Shepherd Neame

12-Apr-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Shepherd Neame has released a sequel beer for its returning Cask Club initiative called Dragonfire (4.5% ABV).

Black Sheep Brewery considers sale as it appoints financial adviser

11-Apr-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Masham-based brewer and pub operator Black Sheep Brewery has appointed a financial adviser with a sale of the business being an option.

Craft breweries going bust rises threefold

05-Apr-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The number of craft breweries going bust jumped more than threefold in 2022 as rising production costs and reduced consumer spending took their toll.

Black Sheep Brewery CFO steps down

31-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Black Sheep Brewery’s chief financial officer (CFO) John Hunt has stepped down from his role for personal reasons, with Anthony Hill appointed as interim CFO.

The Cask Project

VIDEO FEATURE: ‘Cask’s challenges are linked with the post-Covid recovery’

30-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Adnams has a great tradition for brewing beer having done so for 150 years – but the business’s skills don’t end there.

The Cask Project

Sharp’s launches first nationwide hazy IPA on cask

28-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Cornwall-based Sharp’s Brewery has launched its first ever nationally available cask hazy IPA, Solar Wave (4.6% ABV).

The Cask Project

How this brewing director has helped Cask Club take off

24-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Mike Unsworth, director of brewing at Kent-based Shepherd Neame, has proved be a bit of a maverick when it comes to launching cask beers.

The Cask Project

FEATURE: Cask gets a bad reputation at times

20-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Cask beer is vital for north-west-based Robinsons Brewery but it must offer something on keg to boost its brand portfolio that is interesting and innovative – and quality is key to this.

Wildcard scoops best brewery title at SIBA awards

16-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Craft brewery Wildcard has been named Brewery Business of the Year 2023 at the SIBA Business Awards 2023.

Local breweries key to thriving communities

16-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Communities are given a positive boost if a local independent brewery is operated well say 80% of people, according to a new report published today (Thursday 16 March).

The Cask Project

GK to launch apprentice-collaboration beer

15-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Brewer and pub operator Greene King will release its limited-edition Spring Break cask beer, which was created last year in collaboration with the National Brewing Apprentice Programme.

The Cask Project

Shepherd Neame Cask Club Passport ready for take off

10-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Kent brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has launched its Cask Club Passport for 2023, which encourages customers to support the category while offering rewards to drinkers.

The Cask Project

Drink Cask Fresh initiative goes on trial in pubs

09-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

A campaign to reinvigorate cask beer by targeting younger drinkers has launched in selected pubs this week.

Lakedown strengthens team ahead of new brewery opening

07-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

East Sussex-based Lakedown Brewing Co has appointed James Cuthbertson as a partner ahead of the opening of its new state-of-the-art brewery, which is due to open later this year.

The Cask Project

Bruha Brewery to roll out 9 seasonal cask beers

02-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

East Anglia brewer Bruha Brewery will roll out a series of seasonal cask beers throughout 2023 with the aim of broadening the horizons of on-trade customers.

Video feature

VIDEO FEATURE: How Robinsons is making beer sparkle

28-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Beer is better in the north than the south.

B&K reports 5.3% lfl cask sales boost

24-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Brewpub multiple operator Brewhouse & Kitchen (B&K) is bucking the trend on declining cask beer sales by recording a 5.3% like-for-like (lfl) growth across its range.

The Cask Project - feature

FEATURE: The Northern star watching over cask

20-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

As more cool craft brewers turn their hand to making cask beers, Leeds-based Northern Monk admits there has been some clamour for it to do the same.

CMBC hikes draught beer prices by 11%

17-Feb-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) is set to increase wholesale selling prices across its portfolio by a minimum of 11% for draught products and from about 6% for packaged products, which the company put down to rising cost pressures.

The Cask Project

Disruption is Brewing wins SIBA regional final

17-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

A cask beer with flavours of mango, blueberry and tropical fruit from Disruption is Brewing has scooped top prize at the SIBA South-East Independent Beer Awards.

Ossett to open Salt beer site with pizza offer

17-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Ossett Brewing Group is opening a new site under its craft beer brand Salt that will bring drinks and pizza to the North Yorkshire town of Malton.

Two breweries bid to raise extra finance

15-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Award-winning brewery Exmoor Ales and start-up business Havabier are both seeking crowdfunding to expand and launch their companies respectively.

The Cask Project

Robinsons rewards pubs for cask quality

15-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Stockport-based brewer and pub operator Robinsons has rewarded 88 of its pubs after they achieved 90% or above in their 2022 cask beer quality audits.

The Cask Project

SOX acquires White Horse Brewery

10-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

South Oxfordshire Brewery has acquired neighbouring White Horse Brewery for an undisclosed sum.

the cask project

Theakston reinstates ale after three-year hiatus

07-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Yorkshire brewer T&R Theakston has announced the return of its Masham Ale after a three-year absence.

the cask project

GK hopes to convert more with rugby-themed ales

01-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Pub operator and brewer Greene King is set to launch its limited-edition cask beers for February – Scrumdown and Opening Session.

THE CASK PROJECT

Greene King teams with Jeff Stelling to celebrate pubs

31-Jan-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Greene King has recently hosted its fifth event with sports presenter Jeff Stelling as part of a series of evenings that celebrate British pubs, cask beer and quizzes.

The Cask Project - opinion

Are we missing the best footfall driver?

30-Jan-2023 By Ed Bedington

As January makes way for February and the colder miserable months continue to bite, pubs will be eager to look for ways to drive punters over the threshold.

The Cask Project

Shepherd Neame’s Cask Club returns

27-Jan-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Kent brewer Shepherd Neame has announced it is bringing back its real ale initiative Cask Club next month (February).

Community pub hosts MBE awarding ceremony

24-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

A former dentist who became a leading light in funding research into vasculitis has been honoured in what is believed to be a first for the pub industry.

The cask project – opinion

Seeking the silver bullet(s) to save cask

23-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Writing and compiling stories for The Cask Project has led me to believe the under-threat category of cask ale could be improved vastly with a handful of changes.

the cask project

Shepherd Neame stars in podcast hosted by TV star

17-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has become the star of a podcast series hosted by TV presenter and food judge Gregg Wallace.

SIBA calls for 20% draught duty discount

16-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has urged the Chancellor to expand the draught duty relief to 20% to help the ailing pubs and brewing sector.

Tracker launched to keep tabs on brewery numbers

13-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The number of breweries in the UK will no longer be a mystery after the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) launched a tracker that shows how many active brewers there are.

the cask project

Greene King to launch cask pins

10-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator Greene King has claimed to be the first major cask brewer to launch cask pins – a 4.5-gallon unit container – to market this summer following a seven-figure investment.

The Lock In Podcast

Price of a pint

09-Jan-2023 By Ed Bedington

How are you handling your pricing? The Lock In team tackle the difficult questions as inflation runs rampant - how much can you put your prices up by?

the cask project

Hogs Back releases two low alcohol beers

06-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Surrey-based Hog Back Brewery has urged communities to support their local pubs this month by launching two low and no alcohol beers and adding new PoS support for its flagship beer.

The cask project

Four cask beers craft brewer Verdant is putting faith in

22-Dec-2022 By Gary Lloyd

When people go into a pub or bar that serves craft kegged beer, often they are looking for beers from smaller brands such as The Kernel, Wylam and Deya.

Liberation Group merges with Cirrus Inns

16-Dec-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Liberation Group, the UK and Channel Islands brewer and pub operator has merged with Cirrus Inns – which runs 22 sites from south-west London across to the Cotswolds.

New products round-up

New drinks in time for Christmas

16-Dec-2022 By Gary Lloyd

The latest new releases to the market include beers from Hook Norton, Theakston and Chevallier while spirits include Johnnie Walker and Elusive Expressions from Diageo.

the cask project

Let’s make cask ale a true USP

16-Dec-2022 By Mark Bentley, category management controller and beer sommelier, Molson Coors

A fresh pint of cask ale, perfectly served, is one of life’s great pleasures and a genuine unique selling point (USP) of the great British pub.

The Cask Project

5 'flight' sized facts on beer style

02-Dec-2022 By Andrew Volker, CMBC Brand Manager on Wainwright

Andrew Volker, Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company Brand Manager on Wainwright, talks about beer “style” as an important factor when thinking about cask ale.

The Cask Project

5 common cask mistakes

01-Dec-2022 By John Fogg, CMBC technical specialist

Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC)'s technical specialist John Fogg highlights the most common mistakes made when working with and serving cask ale.

drinks list 2023

Who says cask is in decline?

30-Nov-2022 By The Morning Advertiser

The much-maligned category of cask ale is thriving when comparing this year’s on-trade sales figures to last year’s.

The Cask Project

Theakston and Blackrose team up to reignite cask passion

29-Nov-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

Newcastle-based Blackrose Pubs and Yorkshire’s T&R Theakston have joined forces in a bid to showcase the creativity of cask beer to a new generation.

Drinks List 2023

The Drinks List – top brands to stock in 2023

28-Nov-2022 By The Morning Advertiser

This year’s Drinks List has seen great strides forward in terms of volume and value sales versus last year because the on-trade has been operating on a much better basis than during the heavily restrictive phases of the pandemic.

Beer author and film-maker Garrett wins top prize

24-Nov-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Beer author and film-maker Jonny Garrett has been named Beer Writer of the Year 2022 at the Guild of Beer Writers’ Annual Awards.

the cask project

Cask ale producers scoop host of awards

22-Nov-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Cask ale producers Sharp’s, Shepherd Neame, Black Sheep Brewery and Purity are celebrating after winning an array of medals at the International Beer Challenge 2022.