… but a (non-literal) bucket-load of fun for all.
By my reckoning this was my fifth visit to the Brewers Collective (TBC) out in sunny Bay Shore LI (yes, Long Island has their own state abbreviation … perhaps).
Although you wouldn’t know it by examining my burgeoning collection of sampling glasses, where I was only able to find two labelled TBC; I think my long-suffering wife has been slowly donating my treasured glassware to one of the local charity shops.
Never mind.
Checking my meticulous records, I can confirm that I have made the trip (LIRR and short hike) out to TBC on five occasions now, three for the Long Island Indie Cask Fest and two more for the Diabetes Awareness Fundraiser.
And they have all been a (non-literal) bucket-load of fun.
If, like me, you want the beer in your glass to be the most perfect-to-style expression of the brewer’s art, you may not get too much from these events.
But if, like me, you want the beer to party hard in your mouth and mind, this is the place to visit.
Yep, the Cask Whisperer has two natures.
As usual, it was a lively party atmosphere with the brewers mingling with the punters, and everybody having a good time.
There were 26 casks listed on the board, but sadly Long Island Farm Brewery scratched at the starting gate; shame, as that (Apricot/Blood Orange Sour) looked very interesting indeed.
Greenport Harbor appear to have filled in at the last moment, as their shingle was off to the side of the official grid and their contribution was the only “regular” beer on the day, a delicious ESB with no greeblies.
Every other cask was a one-off wonder, with all manner of fruit and spices, as befits the holiday season.
You could tell which of my two natures showed up by the top-5 list, which somehow did not include the ESB, and also seemed to skip over some of the more restrained offerings.
So here we go, in no particular order:
- WA Meadwerks “Oldest Fashion” a 13% rye barrel aged mead with orange and cherry. Sweet, strong and outrageously good. I started the event sensibly, with just a small taster, but ultimately voted for it as my favorite, and then went back for a full pour before heading out into the cold night.
- Stay Green Brewing Handtryk cream ale, is actually a cream ale/sake hybrid brewed with sake kasu from Kato Sake Works in Bushwick. This beer also made my top-5 at last year’s event, but this year’s version also incorporated lychee and Sichuan peppercorns; both thankfully subtle. The end result being crisp like a pilsner with a hoppy herbal note.
- 1940’s Brewing “Oh Coquito!” another cream ale but unlike anything that the folks who grew up on Genny would recognize, unless they happen to be of Puerto Rican heritage. The cream in this case was taken literally, with cream of coconut and coconut milk, all spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Yes it did look like eggnog, and was very addictive. I could have gotten into serious trouble with this one.
- Somerset Brewing Company coffee/chocolate stout, came as a perfect reset about halfway through the session, cleansing the palate after all of the spices and giving a serious jolt to the senses.
- Westhampton Beach Brewing Company Linzer Tart sour, was raspberries over raspberries with just a hint of vanilla and spice. Another refreshing interlude.
A couple of observations:
- Surprisingly, nobody was doing candy cane this year; not a hint of mint in any of the brewery offerings.
- Coconut, in cream form or milk form or just plain nut form, turned up in a good quarter of the beers.
I have no complaints about any of those statistics.
One final thing that was pointed out to me by one of the attendees who had recognized me from other cask events.
None of the attending breweries have a dedicated cask program themselves, but they prepare elaborate casks and come back year after year to showcase their efforts …
… and to have a (non-literal) bucket-load of fun.
Scorecard w/e 12/10/24
In the past week the Cask Whisperer has enjoyed the following casks:
- Old Glenham Session Bitter @ Jones Wood Foundry
- Fifth Hammer Leo Neverlenny Pale Ale @ Jones Wood Foundry
In the past week the Cask Whisperer has also sampled the following casks at the 6th Annual TBC Indie Cask Fest:
- 1940’s Brewing “Oh Coquito!” Coconut Cream Ale
- 27a Brewing Stout w/ Coffee, Coconut, Cinnamon & Vanilla
- DUBCO Honey Brown Ale w/Espresso & Coconut
- Secatogue Brewing “Cherry Coke-ito” Imperial Stout w/Coconut, Cherry, Nutmeg & Cola
- Spider Bite English Mild w/Bourbon-soaked Cherries
- Sand City “Rocket Fuel: Fade to Jade” IPA w/Coconut, Rum Chips & Pineapple
- Stay Green Handtryk Cream Ale/Sake Hybrid w/Lychee & Sichuan Peppercorns
- Westhampton Beach Linzer Tart Sour w/Cinnamon & Vanilla
- Somerset Brewing Coffee/Chocolate Stout
- WA Meadwerks “Oldest Fashion” Rye Barrel Cherry Orange Mead
- Small Craft Brewing “Peanut Cup Porter”
- Lithology “Shogun’s Saloon” Brown Ale w/Japanese Whiskey Chips
- Jones Beach Dry-hopped Cold IPA w/Peaches, Mango & Pineapple
- Motion Craft “Phone Home” Reese’s Pieces Porter
- TBC “Sweet Fall Funeral” Dark Mild w/Chocolate, Vanilla & Sea Salt
- South Shore Craft “Smore Berries Please!” Milk Stout w/Cocao, Vanilla & Cherries
- Take Two “Cranberry Solstice” Aged Winter Ale w/Cranberry & Xmas Pudding Spices
- North Fork Maple Bacon Rauchbier
- Po’Boy “Marshmallow Meltdown” Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Porter
- Ubergeek Mexican Lager w/Blue Agave & Mango
- Synergy Brew Project “Crimson Queen” Red Velvet Ale w/Habanero
- Barnshed Brewing Chai Latte Pumpkin Ale
- Great South Bay “Jolly Blonde Holiday Cutie” Blonde Ale w/Jolly Ranchers
- Ghost Brewing “Lady of Purgatory” Barleywine/Fruity Sour Blend
- Greenport Harbor Brewing ESB
Upcoming Cask Events (Festivals and Otherwise)
1/17/25: RIF-RAF Rhode Island’s Finest Real Ale Festival (session 1) @ The Guild Pawtucket RI
1/18/25: RIF-RAF Rhode Island’s Finest Real Ale Festival (session 2) @ The Guild Pawtucket RI
4/2/25 – 4/5/25: 26th Annual NERAX will be held in Boston MA. Save the dates!
Upcoming Random NYC Casks
- According to Instagram, Grimm Artisan Ales will have a special cask of their Double Negative stout at their taproom this week. No day given, could it be on already?
NYC Cask Venues
Known Operational/Active Beer Engines
- Jones Wood Foundry (x2)
- Fifth Hammer
- Wild East
- The Shakespeare (x3)
- Cask Bar & Kitchen
- Drop-off Service
Occasional Pins (worth a follow on Instagram)
- Strong Rope
- KCBC
- Tørst
- Blind Tiger Ale House
- Threes Brewing
- Brouwerij Lane (First Friday Firkins)
- The Owl Farm
