Ever wonder what that one big tap handle right in the middle of the bar is?  The big white one that doesn’t quite look like the others?  I know some of you know exactly what it is because you’ve been asking me when it would be in use since we opened.  For those of you that don’t know, it’s a beer engine.  A beer engine isn’t a complicated piece of technology that makes beer, it’s just a fancy word for a hand pump.  It serves cask conditioned beer (or “Real Ale” as the British self-righteously label it).  Our English speaking friends across the pond believe two basic things about American beer (even the good stuff); that it’s too cold and that it’s too fizzy.  They believe that beer should be served at a temperature that doesn’t numb the taste buds and with a level of carbonation that doesn’t interfere with the subtle flavors of the beer.  When it comes to a traditional English, Irish or Scottish Ale, I agree with them.  And depending on my mood I often prefer my hoppy American stuff that way.  It’s taken me a while to get the handpump up and running.  We’re talking about used European equipment here.  I had to do a little bit of work to get it working and most of the parts I needed weren’t stock items at the Home Depot (or even McMaster Carr!)  But now I’ve got a fully functioning beer engine on the bar and four full firkens of our dry-hopped  English Session Ale in the cold box.  From now on I’ll try to keep a cask-conditioned beer on the engine as often as possible.  I can tell you now that I won’t always be able to keep up, I’ve only got so much cellar space.  But I’ll be pulling the first pint (that’s a proper 20 oz. pint mind you) tomorrow at 5:30 pm and then promptly sitting down to drink it.  I hope you’ll join me for a couple.

Cheers,

Chris