It’s one among Britain’s most historic drinks, nonetheless bought in hundreds of pubs throughout the nation, however cask beer has lengthy been in decline.
Apart from affected by a fame as an “outdated man’s drink” and the divisive debate over the “cellar temperature” at which it’s served, the variety of institutions promoting it, and the quantity and worth of gross sales, have all dropped dramatically in recent times.
Final week, a petition was launched to guard the “historic and conventional serving technique” that was “distinctive to the UK”, calling for the federal government to recognise the manufacturing and serving of cask ale as a Unesco intangible cultural heritage, akin to Belgian beer tradition, Arabic espresso and French baguettes.
No British product but holds the standing, and the UK solely ratified the 2003 Unesco conference for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in March 2024.
Jonny Garrett, who launched the petition and created the Preserve Cask Alive on-line documentary collection, stated cask ale was a vital a part of British historical past. All beer was once served in casks, however the follow light from the start of the twentieth century as easier-to-maintain, extremely carbonated keg lagers grew to become fashionable.
“We’re the one nation that meaningfully holds on to this custom,” stated Garrett, who loves cask ale for its “softer, moussier” really feel within the mouth.
“We’ve ended up with this unimaginable brewing custom of about 4% malt-led, bittersweet beers that’s, within the brewing scene, the envy of the world. But we are inclined to move over it and fetishise American, Belgian and German brewing. We have now our personal world-famous heritage.”
He added that consuming cask ale was like “tasting how our ancestors loved beer”.
The initiative has been backed by the Marketing campaign for Actual Ale (Camra) and several other breweries, together with Timothy Taylor’s, 5 Factors and Shepherd Neame, which collectively personal a whole lot of pubs across the UK.
Garrett, who additionally runs the Craft Beer Channel on YouTube, hopes to lift consciousness about cask ale, which nonetheless makes up about 10% of draught gross sales – extra in strongholds similar to Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield.
Garrett estimated that 3% to 4% of the market is craft keg beer, but it “will get a lot of the headlines”. The marketing campaign additionally seeks to guard breweries – the UK had 100 fewer in January 2025 than the 12 months earlier than – in addition to barley and hop growers. In accordance with the British Hop Affiliation, solely about 50 hop farms stay within the UK.
Incomes cultural heritage standing would offer a multi-pronged increase, stated Garrett. The federal government could be beholden to guard the tradition round cask ale and it might present an “additional instrument for bargaining” in opposition to elevating alcohol responsibility or enterprise charges. It will additionally present funding for analysis and training, serving to to usher in youthful generations.
When Belgian beer tradition was recognised in 2016, Garrett stated it led to an “unimaginable surge in curiosity, each inside Belgium but in addition by way of tourism. That will be of actual profit, significantly now, when occasions are so powerful for pubs and breweries”.
Pete Wells, chief government of Wells & Co in Bedfordshire, stated that cask ale had been an “necessary half” of the brewery’s 149-year historical past.
“The incredible marketing campaign is one thing we’re happy to assist, and hope that this may honour what now we have all the time recognized – that cask ale is a heritage value defending, whereas rejuvenating curiosity in a repeatedly altering market.”
Camra’s chair, Ash Corbett-Collins, stated that cask beers had been threatened by international brewing conglomerates absorbing historic breweries – “solely to disregard and finally disregard their beers”.
Garrett stated there have been rays of hope, with rising curiosity among the many younger craft beer crowd. He added that there have been a number of causes cask ale could be ripe for resurrection: it’s usually decrease in alcohol, extra reasonably priced and made extra naturally – which ought to enchantment to youthful drinkers.
“An excellent pint of cask ale is on the coronary heart of what makes an ideal British pub,” stated Richard Bradbury, managing director of Theakston Brewery in North Yorkshire.
“It will be incredible to have that recognised and celebrated by Unesco. On this period of protectionism, it could, in time, inspire a decrease fee of excise responsibility on cask beer.”
Corbett-Collins added: “The extremely expert brewers producing cask beer need to have their artisan commerce revered and guarded.”
