Who’s That Beer? puts a spotlight on some of the Brooklyn Brewery beers you might not see often, but could still encounter in the wild. Enjoy meeting some of our favorite brews.
Cask-conditioned beer or “real ale” has inspired a generation of American craft brewers, including our own brewmaster Garrett Oliver. While living in London and managing rock concerts in one of his former lives, Garrett was also visiting the local pubs, tasting his way through a vast swath of traditional British ales. The full taste of these venerable brews was enough to change his path, and today we brew Brooklyn Best Bitter in honor of the great cask ale tradition and Garrett’s first “real” pints.
Cask ale is poured from a steel cask fitted with a mallet-driven tap and a hand-powered pump, delivering a beer at a gently cool temperature with a zesty prickle of carbonation. The carbonation arises from secondary fermentation, which uses live yeast added at filling time to both carbonate the beer and impart subtle, complex flavors. Far from being “warm and flat”, it is an amazingly lively drink straight out of the 1800′s.
Available only in casks, Brooklyn Best Bitter is a fine welcome to the world of real ale. We use the heirloom Maris Otter barley variety in our malts, lending the beer plenty of body and a soft, bready flavor. A blend of British and American hops provides a brisk bitterness and a nice floral aroma, while Brooklyn house ale yeast brings gentle orangey fruit flavors. Pumped from the cellar by hand, the beer arrives clear and amber, achieving a special texture and delicate lacing of foam. Perfectly balanced and not too strong, this is a beer to reach for whether you’re facing down a chilly winter day or enjoying a warm summer evening. Brooklyn Best Bitter is great with food or just with family and friends. Some things don’t need changing, and cask beer is one of them.