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CASK ALE WHISPERER

Blog by Nigel Walsh

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Beer Engines of Olde New York (An Occasional Status Report)

Minetta Tavern

It was always listed with a happy face, signifying an active cask program, on Alex Hall’s webpage of all known cask outlets in New York State, with the last positive confirmation (per the Wayback Machine) being in 2013.

But it was a place that I had never actually visited until this past Saturday.

I, like many other folks I am sure, was always a little intimidated to approach it.

  • It had a Michelin star.
  • It was a hangout for celebrities.
  • It was, probably, expensive.
  • I would need a reservation.
  • It was always busy; I would be lucky to get a reservation.
  • And if I did manage that, I would need to dress-up in my finest corporate dress-down wear.

Yeah, it was just not for me.

But from the pictures that I had seen of it, the actual bar area was beautiful in a historic way, and at the very center of that historic bar stood a very impressive, yet understated, plain black handpump.

I did the research, checking to see if anybody had ever checked in a cask ale.

No luck there; it is not the sort of place that would be of interest to the Untappd whale-hunters.

I asked around, but nobody knew for sure; I guess that I wasn’t the only one who was a little leery of the place.

I was starting to get obsessed intrigued by it.

What my research told me was that reservations were not that necessary if you were just eating (or in my case drinking) at the bar; as long as you arrived at a quiet time and looked unthreatening, you could probably get seated as a walk-in.

And that is what I did.

I arrived at 11:15am on Saturday morning, while the majority of brunch folks were still getting kitted out in their glad-rags, asked for a seat at the mostly empty (but not for long) bar, and planted myself down, right next to the splendid beer engine.

At that time there were a couple of techie (or tech support) guys hanging out at one end of the bar, and that was it; I had several empty stools on both sides.

They both appeared to be eating one of the two burgers on offer, or it may have been the French dip sandwich, but it was difficult to tell for sure from my distant perch.

And then suddenly, the bar just filled up, to the point where I volunteered to move over one place to consolidate the empty stools and accommodate a tourist couple; it would appear that arriving as soon as possible after the venue opens is a really good idea, especially on a weekend.

I asked for a beer menu, and when I saw no sign of a cask ale on the list, I settled for a bottle of Franziskaner Weissbier, and ultimately two bottles of a French perry as well.

I also asked the bartender about the handpump.

He told me that it had been broken for some time (I am guessing for many years) and that they were not able to get the parts to fix it.

When I told him that I may know somebody that could repair it he showed interest, so I texted Ian Hatton (of Old Glenham fame) to see if he was interested and able, and ultimately provided the bar with his contact information.

Just doing my schtick.

It may turn out to be a whisper too far, but wouldn’t it be cool to have real ale available at this historic tavern again?

I, for one, would be very happy to consider future return visits if that engine comes back on line; those burgers and fries (and French dip sandwiches) that everyone was eating looked awesome.

I really enjoyed the hour, or so, that I spent there.

The other customers at the bar were very sociable, and the staff were professional, friendly, and very welcoming.

I was not at all intimidated.

Scorecard w/e 8/26/25

In the past week the Cask Whisperer has enjoyed the following casks:

  • Old Glenham OGB Session Bitter @ Jones Wood Foundry
  • Old Glenham Weavers Pale Ale @ Jones Wood Foundry

Upcoming Cask Events (Festivals and Otherwise)

Upcoming Oktoberfest Events (With Confirmed/Potential Cask Sightings)

Upcoming Random NYC Casks

  • No randoms so far this week.

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

Cask Venues Reachable from NYC by MTA or NJ Transit Train in Under two Hours

Metro-North Hudson Line

  • Draught Industries, Beacon NY (one handpump, Old Glenham beer range).
  • Coopers, Beacon NY (one handpump, Old Glenham beer range).
  • Happy Valley Arcade Bar, Beacon NY (one handpump, Old Glenham beer range).

Metro-North Harlem Line

  • The Ambleside Pub, Mt. Kisco NY (four handpumps, Old Glenham beer range).

Metro-North New Haven Line

  • Marlowe Artisanal Ales, Mamaroneck NY (one handpump, Marlowe beer range).
  • Nod Hill Brewing, Ridgefield CT (two handpumps, Nod Hill beer range).

NJ Transit NJCL Line

  • Triumph Restaurant and Brewery, Red Bank NJ (one handpump, Triumph beer range).
ASK NIGEL

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