Image: jclyde.com

A weekly look at the draft selections in beer-friendly establishments across the country.

This week's column could be more accurately called "What's on Cask." Why? Well, there are three types of beer drinkers in the world: people who love cask ale, people who hate cask ale, and people who have never tried cask ale. In America, the third group is by far the largest. One reason is that cask-conditioned beer can be nearly impossible to find here in the States.

In England, any good pub has at least a couple beer engines serving ales the way nature intended: unfiltered, with natural carbonation, and at cellar temperature (instead of being cooled by refrigeration). Though many Yanks' distaste for the cask comes from the stereotype that Brits enjoy warm beer, these cask brews actually allow for an entirely different drinking experience, bringing out nuanced flavors that are otherwise concealed at lower temperatures and with additional gas.

No surprise, then, that Birmingham, Alabama's the J. Clyde prides itself on being "the only place in Alabama to currently serve cask-conditioned ales." In fact, every Friday is "Cask Friday," featuring a new real ale each week alongside their regular draft selection. This past Friday, they unfurled two new firkins (a fancy word for a cask): Good People Pale Ale and Great Divide Titan IPA. As the bar proclaims on their blog, "Got to get these hoppy beers tapped before they lose their mojo!" The Good People Brewery is located right in Birmingham, so it oughtta be extra fresh.

Though only having two brews in this week's What's On Tap post may be unprecedented, think of it this way: It's one small step for cask ale, one giant leap for beer-kind!

Are there cask beers at the bars near you? Do you wish these ales were easier to find or are you happy to leave cask brews to the Brits?