My missus has known me long enough to know that a swift half in the pub does not mean a quick half-pint.
It is usually closer to a not-so-quick half dozen pints.
The Strood Lads would concur.
I didn’t quite manage the half dozen on Saturday, but I did put down a solid four, all while watching England put away a solid seven against the unfortunate Croatians.
This is not something that you usually hear in a sentence that describes the England national team, but they were irrepressible.
Now that’s not to say that I couldn’t have put away six (or seven) myself, but I am monitoring my carb intake right now (hmmm).
This was my first time tasting the latest from Old Glenham, the Swift Session IPA.
It is neither East Coast nor West Coast, so don’t get too excited if you are expecting dank or murk.
The taste to me is solid South Coast.
It reminds me of the Fremlins Bitters that Whitbread were brewing in Faversham, Kent in the late ‘70s.
Which happens to be one of my all-time favorites.
All fuggly goodness in the nose and gullet.
Taste wise, Fifth Hammer’s latest has a similar malt and hop profile, but at 5.2% I usually whinge out at two or three pints.
This is only 4.2% (hence the “session”), and as a result it seems to disappear very quickly if you are not paying attention.
So yeah, this is really appropriately named.
You could easily have a session on this beer.
You could even have a swift half.
Scorecard w/e 10/06/26
In the past week the Cask Whisperer enjoyed the following casks:
- Old Glenham Swift Session IPA @ Jones Wood Foundry
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.
- 1/15/27-1/16/27: RIF-RAF (Rhode Island’s Finest Real Ale Festival) returns to the Guild Brewing Co. in Pawtucket RI.
Upcoming Random NYC Casks
- No randoms in the city, but it appears that cask is back on again at Marlowe Ales in Mamaroneck; reliable sources in Instagram note that their Ploosh ESB is on the handpull.
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).
