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CASK ALE WHISPERER

Blog by Nigel Walsh

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Blocktoberfest 2026

Well.

It was a month later than originally planned, but they got a beautiful day for it.

Finally.

This was exactly the kind of day where you want to be outside at a beer festival, soaking up the sun and more important, soaking up the beer.

Even if that beer was not dispensed from a cask.

You could always do what I did, and get the pre-game in, with a fine pint from the handpull in nearby Fifth Hammer.

Especially if you needed a solid foundation before venturing into unknown beer territory.

I felt bad about not poking my head into Rockaway Brewery for a Hawaiian Pizza beforehand, or swinging by afterwards, but I will catch up on that, next time we do a walkies with Amos.

So no cask, but there were drafts, and cans, and bottles, from the established NYC brewers, and strange containers (bags?) of all shapes and sizes from the Brewminaries home brewers club.

There were no obvious Old World (he means British) styles there either, other than the venerable (and award winning) Strong Rope Pub Ale, but the day was perfect for downing a lager or two, and/or a saison or two, and/or an IPA or two, and/or a sour or two, and don’t forget the sake, or two.

I didn’t forget the sake or two.

So, this is what I think I may have had, it gets a little hazy:

And that was after a warm-up pint of Paddy Neverpat and a Honkfest Zwick in Fifth Hammer.

Tough to call a favorite, but I will, and for me it was the home brew Altbier from the Brewminaries.

Yeah, I know, I have a thing about well-brewed home brews.

The Blocktoberfest event moves around the city every year, and this year it conveniently (for me) popped up in the outside Lot at Culture Lab LIC, an art space that is well worth visiting even without beer on its doorstep [Editor’s Note: it always has beer on its doorstep, courtesy of Rockaway Brewing].

They also generously allowed access to their proper bathrooms, always a plus!

The Dirty Carboys were on hand to provide musical entertainment, and were as rumbunctious as ever.

And it was good to catch up with some of my favorite brewers, Jeff from Endless Life, Adam and Justin from Eckhart, Chris from Fifth Hammer, Flint from Back Home, and Shinobu from Kato Sake Works.

And it is always good to bump into John from the Cask Crew.

I ended up leaving an hour before the end of the event to get home in time to feed the aforementioned Amos, who was staying over at my place for the evening.

But I had my fill.

I must have, because I ended up picking up an unnecessary and enormous hero sandwich at a local deli on my side of the river, and scarfing (inhaling?) it as soon as I got home.

A beautiful day.

A great event.

Looking forward to the Blue Point Cask Ale Festival coming up in a couple of weeks’ time in Patchogue.

Scorecard w/e 10/27/26

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

  • Fifth Hammer Paddy Neverpat Pale Ale @ Fifth Hammer Brewery

Upcoming Cask Events (Festivals and Otherwise)

  • 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, tapping at 6pm.
  • 1/15/27-1/16/27: RIF-RAF (Rhode Island’s Finest Real Ale Festival) returns to the Guild Brewing Co. in Pawtucket RI.
  • 4/7/27-4/10/27: Dates have been set for NERAX

Upcoming Random NYC Casks

  • Strong Rope are taking their GABF award-winning Pub Ale on the road in its purest form. Casks will be tapped on/at Blind Tiger Ale House (10/29), Strong Rope (10/30) and Covenhoven (10/31).
  • The Grimm Reaper returns to Grimm Ales this Halloween Eve (10/31) in cask form; Double Negative Imperial Russian Stout aged on Carolina Reaper peppers.

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).
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