I, Real Ale: Asimov

Cask ale is the topic of Eric Asimov's recent blog, and of his column to be published tomorrow in the New York Times.

He titles the blog post "Beer, Naturally". That clever limn is one of the better descriptions of what real ale - or cask ale - is: beer with an uber-freshness that needs to be tasted to be understood.

I find that some craft beer fans can be deaf to real ale's charms. "Oh, yes, that's fresh" they'll say, but turn to their latest Belgian find. It's surprisingly often the wine drinkers who will say to me, "I never knew," after draining their second pull fresh from a cask.

Eric, nephew to Isaac, also offers due props to New York City real-ale-man Alex Hall.

[UPDATE: here's the NY Times article, entitled The Power in the Cask. Asimov mentions drinking Sierra Nevada cask-conditioned Bitter! Haven't seen that around here.]