I managed to get out three days/nights in a row this week.
It’s playing hell with my waistline.
This past Thursday evening over at Fifth Hammer, Chris Cuzme and his merry band of talented musicians put on a prog rock masterpiece while sitting in the dark with their backs to the audience, wearing spooky masks on the backs of their heads.
Seriously, it reminded me of King Crimson [There may be a regal theme to this week’s nonsense], or Van Der Graaf Generator.
The occasion was a Halloween spin on the regular “Live in The Brewside Lounge!” with a showing of the 1927 German silent horror movie Nosferatu, with the band playing a live improvised soundtrack.
It was a unique experience, and one washed down with several pints of their outstanding Paddy Neverpat Pale Ale; my favorite iteration of their cask neverbeers.
I am still a little annoyed at myself that I didn’t stay until the end of the performance, chased off by the premature arrival of the last ferry back to the UES.
Next year I vow to stick it out and get home by subway.
And until then, I really will try to get out to Fifth Hammer on a Thursday evening more often, maybe starting [checks his calendar] this week?
Even without the vampires, the music never disappoints and neither do the casks, nor the company, nor the resident and visiting dogs.
It was while I was at Fifth Hammer that I got a DM from Strong Rope announcing that they were taking their GABF award-winning Pub Ale out on the road for three consecutive days at the end of last week.
I missed out on the cask that they tapped at the Blind Tiger that same night, and although I considered dropping by Friday lunchtime to see if there was any left (there was apparently), I decided on going straight to the source and settled in for an extended/delayed ferry trip to Red Hook.
Delayed because a Queen was in town, and she was preparing to leave.
The ferry app had alerted me as soon as I told it that I was heading to Red Hook.
South Brooklyn Route – Cruise ship embarking – Expect delays!
And there were delays.
Thirty minutes at Pier 11/Wall Street, as the number of folks with oversized suitcases started to overwhelm the usually sedate line; I was getting nervous because the ferry route had recently been extended north to East 34th Street, and the map showed my ferry sitting there for a very long time.
I had been aiming for a 12:00/12:30pm arrival at the brewery, but the clock was slowly ticking towards 1:00pm and beyond.
And there I was, stuck in a “line” with a bunch of amateurs and all of their household goods and chattel.
But then, I got a reassuring DM informing me that the cask would be tapped around 1:30pm.
All would be well.
And it was.
The ferry arrived.
It was packed but there was still plenty of room to accommodate all.
Nobody ran over my feet.
Nobody blocked my exit.
And upon arrival in Brooklyn, I was treated to the sight of the Queen Mary II looming over the Red Hook neighborhood.
Hmm, isn’t there a pub on the QMII? [Yep, there is]
Don’t they serve Real Ale in said pub? [Yep, they do]
They do and they do, and I was tempted to stow away in one of the monstrous rolling suitcases, and sneak aboard for a pint or two; the Queen wasn’t leaving until 5:00pm, so surely there would be enough time to grab a couple of beers and a sausage roll.
Mmmm, sausage roll.
But then I snapped out it, and remembered that there was a mighty fine (some would say award-winning) cask of best bitter waiting for me just a few short cobble-stoned blocks to the south.
So with a tear in my eye and a glance over my shoulder, I reluctantly left the Queen behind along with her throng of overburdened subjects, and strode onwards to Strong Rope Brewery.
I arrived early.
But not too early.
Just early enough to grab a draft of their Barnacle King (What? More royalty?) blonde ale, and grab a few moments out on the dockside before the main event.
A few moments was plenty for me.
I quickly took myself over to a stool at the end of the bar, mere inches from the now-tapped pin, and settled in for the duration.
I stayed there for three pints (or was it four?) of the Pub Ale, and I wasn’t drinking alone for long.
Although all of the other punters took their beers outside into the admittedly glorious sunshine, I was soon joined in my shady corner by the Strong Rope crew (past and present) who gathered around to celebrate their great achievement.
I was happy and honored to celebrate alongside them, the Pub Ale is a long-time favorite of mine and well deserving of a GABF Bronze Medal.
I even got to hold the medal itself.
I am not worthy.
It was a good session with good people.
Well worth the hassle of getting there; it always is.
The ferry back was prompt and the ride uneventful.
I did briefly consider getting off at Wall Street and hiking up to the Tiger, but then remembered how much beer I was carrying and the age of my bladder, so home it was.
I also skipped out on the third Pub Ale cask that was to be tapped the following day at Covenhoven; I had other plans.
I had another good session with good people penciled in on my calendar, a little closer to home at JWF.
An intimate and raucous get together with Jason’s folks who had come over to visit for a few days and were due to return to blighty the next day.
Just like the Queen.
Scorecard w/e 11/03/26
In the past week the Cask Whisperer enjoyed the following casks:
- Fifth Hammer Paddy Neverpat Pale Ale @ Fifth Hammer Brewery
- Strong Rope Pub Ale @ Strong Rope Brewery, Red Hook
- Old Glenham Black Country Bitter @ Jones Wood Foundry
- Old Glenham Loom Cornish Ale @ Jones Wood Foundry
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
- 11/6/26: There is a cask of Eckhart’s Czech Amber Lager due to be tapped at City Swiggers, UES.
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).
