Beer tasting: One of the best jobs in the world
Tasting beer for a living has to be one of Britain’s best jobs.
Getting paid to sample and test beer really fits the ‘living the dream’ stereotype.
I was recently lucky enough to follow in the footsteps of a Cask Marque assessor – who does exactly that. All while making sure while licensees and publicans across the country are selling the best beer possible to thirsty customers.
OK. We didn’t just booze our way through a host of Suffolk pubs. In fact, I’d say we didn’t even consume three quarters of a pint over the course of the day. But it was equally fun, interesting and educational as I experienced first-hand what well-kept, conditioned, quality cask ale should smell, taste and look like.
Driving beer and ale quality is one of Cask Marque’s main aims. There are around 10,000 Cask Marque accredited outlets in the UK – which are all part of the World’s Biggest Ale Trail. Most of these are pubs, but there are also a plethora of hotels, bars, and holiday parks. A quick search on the CaskFinder App’s interactive map – and you’ll be overawed with options that serve a good quality pint, especially in bustling cities like London and Manchester.
But I live in Saxmundham – a small, historic town around 30 minutes’ drive away from Ipswich. And so, Ipswich, via a spontaneous trip to the beach of Felixstowe, was the chosen location on a day I labelled as ‘learning about beer’ in my diary.
Our plan was to audit four pubs – and hopefully award them enough marks to retain their Cask Marque status. Pubs undergo two independent quality checks per year: one in the summer, one in the winter.
Before I reveal our pathway for the day, the below information might give you some more context into the background of the challenge – and beauty - that is cask ale, alongside the assessment process.
What is cask ale?
Cask ale is a fresh and unpasteurised product which needs conditioning when it’s delivered into pub cellars. I.e. the flavours of the ale are developed when the cask is vented and tapped in the cellar. Cask ale is made from four ingredients - water, malted barley, hops and yeast: it has a very short shelf life and should be sold within three days of being putting ‘on’. It is otherwise known as ‘real ale’ or ‘hand-pump ale’.
Why is cask ale unique?
Cask ale cannot be bought in a shop (although you can buy bottle versions). It is stored – and conditioned while on sale - in a cask (think barrel), which is what makes it taste so good and fresh when it’s served in a pub!
What’s the difference between ale and lager?
Lagers, i.e. keg beers, are usually pasteurised and sterile filtered (so they don’t contain any live yeast). They are ready to be served when delivered to pubs – and usually have a longer shelf life. However, cask ale is fermented twice. Once at the brewery and once at the cellar of the pub, so it’s not ready to serve straightaway. It has to be vented, tapped and conditioned during its sale.
Cask ale does not have as much fizz as lager as it doesn’t include any added gas. A light sparkle of carbon dioxide is produced naturally during conditioning – but once the beer goes on sale, it is exposed to air, which is why looking after cask is really important.
What do pubs have to do to look after cask?
Lots. The pubs which sell the best / most cask ale often have members of staff who have knowledge of, a passion for, and a sense of responsibility for it.
The temperature of the cellar where the cask is stored in critical to how the beer behaves. If it’s too cold, it’ll be slow to condition and could appear too cloudy. If it’s too warm, it’ll go off quickly and pick up unwanted aromas and flavours. There’s nothing worse than warm beer! Cellars should be set to a cool 11 to 13 degrees and the doors should be kept closed to prevent any unwanted, warm air from entering.
Cask ale should always be put to bed. The tap should be turned off and a hard plug should be placed in the shive, so no air goes in overnight. The process works very similarly to when you open up a bottle of coke: to preserve the quality of the taste, you screw the lid back on as tightly as possible. Makes sense, right?
Beer lines should be cleaned every seven days – and the cask should be stored in a clean, organised environment.
Doing all of the above will help maintain the quality and life of cask ale – leading to happy customers, more sales and higher profits.
What temperature should good quality ale be stored and served at?
11 to 13 degrees is the target temperature which 95% of drinkers approve of. 10 and 14 degrees are also acceptable and deemed as a Cask Marque pass. Temperature is controlled and maintained using an ale python, which must be switched on and topped up with water regularly.
Lager is best served between 2 and 8 degrees, although it may be served extra cold at 0 degrees.
And what should it look, taste and smell like?
Well-conditioned ale should appear sparkling bright and completely clear. The aroma and taste should be appetising, fresh and non-tainted.
How do Cask Marque assessors test pubs for quality?
To pass and gain retain their Cask Marque status, pubs must score at least 16 marks from the Cask Marque assessors’ visit. Pubs are marked out of 20: 5 marks each for the appearance, aroma, taste, and temperature of their ales. They test the:
- Temperature by thermometer: Assessors will test a pint of all the cask ales on sale, using a calibrated thermometer
- Appearance by holding the beer up to the light: To check the clarity. Points are deducted the hazier the beer is. Cloudy beer is a fail, unless brewed specifically in this style.
- Aroma by smelling the beer: Any unwanted smells will raise concern. ‘Off’ beer will often have vinegar / acidic aromas.
- Taste by testing the beer: Saving the best until last! A good sip should entice the taster for another…and another…
And that’s how a Cask Marque audit works. In that order. The last thing assessors are rewarded with is a sip of one of the most satisfying drinks in the world…when well looked after! Valuable advice is given throughout – to improve standards and practice, making sure customers are getting the most for their money.
Can pubs fail?
If there’s a failure, guidance is often given on site to make sure the pub passes the next time around. Assessors will often give pubs a couple of weeks to get things right before going back and repeating the assessment.
The most common cause of failure is that too many beers have been on sale for too long. Remember that each cask needs looking after, so the more cask there is, the more care is needed to ensure it’s being served exactly right.
One more thing
The Water-break Test. Assessors test for glass cleanliness. The ultimate beer glass should be clean, cold, and dry. Glasses should be washed using washing detergent and washed separately from dishes and cups, while the tea-towels to dry should also be laundered separately.
Our Beer Journey
I must confess that I felt a bit like the beer police at times. Audits are not pre-organised – and assessors can just turn up out of the blue. But licensees and pubs know the rules. And so, armed with our thermometers, cameras, CaskFinder Apps, and notepads to hand, here is the route we took…
Stop 1: The Golf Hotel, Foxhall Road, Ipswich (IP4 5TR):
Stop 2: The Fludyers Arms, Undercliff Road East, Felixstowe (IP11 7LU):
Stop 3: The Cock & Pye, Upper Brook Street, Ipswich (IP4 1EG):
Stop 4: The Black Horse, Black Horse Lane, Ipswich (IP1 2EF):
Opening hour complications at stop 4 meant our beer journey took a slight diversion as we visited the Dove Street Inn, Ipswich (IP4 2LA), a Cask Marque pub who have their own brewery and regularly have around 17 cask ale pumps on at one time. Impressive!
The results
It was very pleasing that the three pubs we audited all passed – leading to happy publicans and customers! We were also spoilt for choice at The Dove Inn too: a very popular establishment among cask ale drinkers.
All in all, Cask Marque have around 50 qualified assessors testing and tasting pubs’ quality of ale up and down the country. They are often former brewers still interested in the beer industry. I might have to start taking my thermometer to the pub from now on…
Thanks to the pubs who allowed us to test their beer quality. Thanks to the pubs who serve good quality ale - and thanks to you for drinking cask and for reading!
For more information on all things cask ale, visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAXJmZYrvJ-sGO5HFFnJf7w
If you’d like further information on the ‘Cask Marque visit’, click here: https://cask-marque.co.uk/happens-cask-marque-visit-2/
If your pub is interested in – and looking to get Cask Marque accredited, visit: https://cask-marque.co.uk/join/
To download the CaskFinder App, visit: https://cask-marque.co.uk/cask-finder/
