I was going to save this report for next week and concentrate on Blocktoberfest ’26 instead, until our latest nor’easter crawled on by this past weekend, causing all manner of outdoor festivities to be cancelled or postponed.
Blocktoberfest was a victim of the weather conditions (high winds) and the weather services (official panic), and was rescheduled until next month, but not Faßfest; Faßfest was indoors, albeit indoors and looking out to a wild and wet New York Harbor.
A bay that I would need to cross via ferry if I was to attend.
I could have chickened out and taken the subway downtown to the Staten Island Ferry (I would end up doing that on the way back), but I was up for the full ‘oceangoing’ experience and wandered down to the 90th street ferry terminal to board the trusty East River ferry, concerned more with the UN General Assembly messing with the schedule/connection than the dodgy whitecaps on the river.
The river was a doddle and so was the first half of the bay crossing.
We got jostled around a bit by the bow waves of a couple of large barges and the wakes of other ferries (thankfully, no security vessels to delay progress); considering the purported full-force gale conditions, the river traffic was quite heavy.
And then, just as I finished texting my mates back home about how smooth the journey was going (even if we couldn’t see NJ), we hit the wild waters just offshore from the ferry terminal at Staten Island itself, probably within eyesight of the folks setting up the event at Kills Boro Brewing.
We rocked and rolled in all three dimensions for the last ten minutes, enough that some of the bay washed in under the front bulkhead doors and around our feet.
But we arrived safely, if a little shaken, and I was immediately asked how it was by some poor unfortunate dreading in line for the return trip; I must have looked a sight, still rocking and rolling on my feet as I wobbled up the slip.
Yep, I decided then and there that it was to be the Staten Island Ferry on the way back.
And I also decided that I was going to be taking the S40/S44 bus to Kills Boro as the rain had picked up some, parts of Richmond Terrace seemed to be under water, and I was severely underdressed for a twenty minute walk.
I still managed to get pretty damp walking the last couple of blocks.
But I was there and it was time to get pretty damp on the inside too.
The casks were not out yet, so I started with a draft festbier from the bar and watched as the Bavarian Kings went through their set up routine; I was very happy to see them back as they really made the event for me last year.
I didn’t have to wait long for the main event though, as within twenty minutes of my soggy arrival, they rolled out the inaugural barrel of their festbier.
It was promptly tapped to much fanfare, and the servers started circulating among attendees, replacing empty mugs with fresh full ones.
I didn’t even need to move to get my next beer.
The pass-around food, pretzels, mini-brats, and Swedish meatballs, came out in the same fashion; all provided by Nurnberger Bierhaus and all absolutely delicious.
What a system!
It gave us all a chance to lean against the long high-tables and get to know our immediate neighbors, knowing that a constant flow of beer and munchies would sustain us over the duration.
There was an equally effective system with the barrels themselves; as one beer was nearing its end, another barrel would be produced, tapped, and distributed.
Eight barrels in total, with lagers from Kills Boro themselves, Wild East, Strong Rope, Alternate Ending, farm.one, Rockaway, and Saltfields.
As befits the event, most were festbiers, but there were a couple of marzens, a pilsner, and even a Japanese rice lager this year.
I think that I missed one of the Wild East offerings because I couldn’t keep up (really?), despite the break in the middle for the ladies’ and gents’ stein hoisting contests; both well attended and fiercely fought.
And when the last barrel had been emptied, they went back to the draft taps and started distributing the beers from there.
But by that time, the three plus hours were pretty much up, and it was time for me to head back out into drizzle.
Yeah, I walked back to the Staten Island Ferry.
Yeah, I got wet.
Some of those puddles were actual ponds for the return trip.
So, this was all the past Sunday, with the Saturday being presented by the media as being a “stay at home and close the windows” type of day.
I of course ignored instructions.
I usually do.
With no Blocktoberfest to keep me busy, I made an overdue return visit to Wild East for their own Oktoberfest.
By subway.
After checking that they were not flooded.
No barrels but there was festbier (Gretabrau) on the beer engine.
So, that’s alright, isn’t it?
Scorecard w/e 09/29/26
In the past week the Cask Whisperer enjoyed the following casks:
- Wild East Gretabrau Festbier @ Wild East Brewing, Gowanus
I also enjoyed the following stichfaß beers at Faßfest ’26 @ Kills Boro Brewing, Snug Harbor, Staten Island.
- Kills Boro Festbier
- Wild East Gretabrau Festbier
- Wild East/Kills Boro Borobrau Marzen (I think I actually missed this one)
- Alternate Ending Hoser Marzen
- farm.one Temporarily Illuminated Pilsner
- Rockaway Pretzel Neck Festbier
- Saltfields Nodogoshi Japanese Rice Lager
- Strong Rope Lucky Festbier
Upcoming Cask Events (Festivals and Otherwise)
- 10/24/26: Blocktoberfest rescheduled, this time it will be held at The Lot @ LIC Culture Lab, right across the street from Rockaway Brewery, between 1pm and 5pm. Will there be any casks? I am willing to chance it.
- 11/7/26: Guy Fawkes celebration and bonfire @ Seneca Lake Brewing, Rock Stream NY. I am going to miss this one again because, see below…
- 11/7/26: Blue Point Cask Ale Fest 2026 @ Blue Point Brewery, Patchogue NY. Tickets now on sale.
- 11/12/26: Rumors of Wayward Lane casks @ Rough Draft, Harlem.
Upcoming Random NYC Casks
- I am not seeing anything out there yet.
NYC Cask Venues
Known Operational/Active Beer Engines
- Jones Wood Foundry (x2)
- Fifth Hammer
- Wild East
- The Shakespeare (x3)
- Drop-off Service
- Rough Draft
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
- City Swiggers
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).
- Little Dog Brewing, Bradley Beach NJ (one handpump, Little Dog beer range).
