After a seven-year absence, New York City once again has an establishment bearing a Cask Marque designation. Though many outside of England may not know what that means (there are only fifteen here in the US), I’m…firkin pumped!?!

Cask Marque is a UK-based accreditation program that verifies establishments serving cask beer meet a certain standard. Among other things, they assess beer temperature, appearance, and flavor. Last month, Brooklyn’s Wild East earned its accreditation for the first time.

While accreditation is not required to pull a proper pint, the stamp of approval does indicate to consumers that the business knows what they’re doing when managing and serving real ale (or lager). I could nitpick a little about the program’s standards and methods (and their Cask Ale Week missteps in 2023), but overall, I think it’s a good thing.

Wild East refurbished a beer engine they got from Bradley Gillett, owner of Seneca Lake Brewing Company, and began pulling pints from it in 2023 with an emphasis on traditional British beer styles like ESB and Dark Mild. The engine was originally from a pub in Sussex, England.

Due to space limitations, they fill pins (5.4-gallon casks) for their regular onsite cask service (firkins, which hold 10.8 gallons, are more common in England). However, there’s talk of potentially adding a second handpump.

New York previously had a couple of other recognized places with a Cask Marque like the Jones Wood Foundry, but it has since expired (just a note though, Jones Wood Foundry continues to serve well-poured pints of cask ale nonetheless. This occasionally includes beer from Wild East).

Wild East celebrated the official recognition on May 1st with two special casks (one from the handpump and one bar top cask for gravity pours). Fish and chips were also available, and the night’s playlist was all British music.

I made it just in time to try their ESB, Moderance, before it kicked. For the event, Moderance was cask-conditioned with hyssop.  I also almost kicked the Brown Ale, Digital Dissonance, that was cask-conditioned with applewood and refermented with brown sugar. However, another cask of that was lined up to keep the killer beer flowing through the night.  

When Wild East opened in 2020, there were no Cask Marque locations in the city. In just a few short years, they have established themselves as a widely respected brewery, and their taproom has become one of the best hangs in the city for fans of good beer. With them touting this accreditation, it’s hopeful that others will be inspired to, if not get a Cask Marque, at least start pouring delicious pints of cask beer (sparkler, or not).

View of the bar at the infamous, and now shuttered Mars Bar in New York City. Image source: Yelp.

Right out of the gates, an article about dive bar food is problematic. In its purest form, a dive bar has no food. I started thinking about this after reading a recent VinePair post ranking dive bar “bites”. Realizing I have a lot of pent-up thoughts about dive bars after years of reading write-ups that don’t seem to align with my vision of them, I decided to prepare this guide.

From the Street

On the outside, a dive bar shouldn’t seem too inviting. In fact, its appearance should make you question whether the place is even open. Windows should be small or obstructed in some way to shield potentially nefarious behavior from the outside. Graffiti, stickers, and other items likely adorn the facade with little concern from the owners about how the place appears.

There may be a neon sign in the window for a brewery. It may even be a smaller, local-ish brewery, leading you to think there might be some fancy beer inside. Don’t be fooled by this.

Walking In

It can be a bit of a crapshoot walking into a dive bar. Assessing the room, you should notice at least one person who is on the verge of throwing up or having an overdose. Most patrons are regulars that often feel like they’re a family, and you’ve just entered their home.

Depending on when you’re catching them on their daily journey, you might get some unwelcoming stares. This could indicate it’s time to turn around and leave, or maybe you’ll just be doing a one-and-done. If you stay, use caution, but don’t let it make you think that you may not ultimately be accepted.

Alternatively, a new face might be warmly welcomed as dive bar regulars sometimes get bored of each other. Further, don’t be so concerned about your appearance. One of the beauties of a great dive bar is the acceptance of all kinds of people as long as they’re in it for a good time.  

Ordering a Drink

You should have cash at a dive bar. Most good ones don’t take credit cards and don’t even know what Apple Pay is. Further, they likely don’t have an ATM. And if they did, using it would be super risky as they’re an ideal target for thieves using skimmers to steal your account info.

Have realistic expectations about what is offered and don’t be put off by plastic cups. Glassware requires washing and sanitizing, and these tasks are not a priority at a dive.

Drinks are generally basic and limited. Keep it simple. Rum and Coke, Vodka Cranberry, and so on. A beer and a shot always work.

For beer, it’s best to avoid anything on draft, if they even have a draft system. The staff likely don’t realize that draft lines should be cleaned every couple of weeks, which leads to some very off-tasting beer. Stick to bottles and cans and expect Budweiser, Pabst, Miller, Corona, etc. There may also be some regional brands like Genny, Narragansett, Old Style, and Rainier.

Settling In

Read the room. If you’ve been welcomed by the crew, don’t be afraid to engage. If you’re not catching the warmest vibes, it’s best to be reserved. And remember, they’re a family. If you piss off one, you’re likely pissing off everyone in the joint.

Entertainment

Entertainment at a dive bar typically consists of drinking and conversation. There’s a chance there might be a jukebox of some sort. Don’t be afraid to use it. The selection is often already vetted by the staff and regulars. So, you likely can’t go wrong with what you pick. Further, they may appreciate you coughing up money to play some tunes for everyone to enjoy.

Fancier spots may also have a pool table. However, if that table is in decent condition, you may not be in a dive bar. Instead, you should expect warped cues, an incomplete set of balls that are chipped, an uneven table, and tears in the cloth.  

If there is a television, it should be a piece of shit and there should never be a time when a notable number of people care what’s on it.

Hungry?

Don’t come to a dive bar expecting to eat. It’s a drinking establishment. Having no food at all is the standard.

However, it may be possible to find a bowl of popcorn, pretzels, nuts, and the like. Additionally, there may be a rack of stale chips, usually at a very affordable price.

Fancier places may have a fryer, grill, and/or microwave. And if you’re brave enough to eat food prepared at a dive bar, you want it to be fried or nuked. But starting here, you’re beginning to cross a threshold toward a regular bar. With these, there are all kinds of additional permits, health code standards, etc. that are too much of a headache for a place where people just want to get fucked up.

Nonetheless, here you may be able to get fries, wings, a burger, or a hot dog. Tater tots might be acceptable, but could be a sign that you’re in a hipster-type dive bar.

There should be no vegetables on the premises. Nearly all ingredients should frozen or canned and require very little skill to prepare.

Further, a properly trained chef and any dish beyond what is mentioned above is more proof that you’re likely not in a dive bar. One should take no pride in the food that is served.

The Bathroom

The bathroom in a dive bar is used to go to the bathroom and to do drugs. That said, drugs may be openly consumed in some places.

The bathroom will be absolutely filthy and covered with graffiti, stickers, etc. If there is a toilet seat (don’t be surprised if there’s not), men will use their feet to lift the seat and to flush the toilet. For women, you will have to hover or cover the seat with toilet paper (a nest, as my wife says). However, there may not even be toilet paper. So, it might be good to go to the bar equipped with your own paper products.

Last call

Hours at a dive bar can vary greatly and can be inconsistent. A good one is open for most of the day. That’s part of their charm. Reliably being there for you, hassle-free, when you need a drink.

Keep all this in mind before heading into a dive bar and you may have some great times at one. You may even become part of the family, for better or worse.   

Rudy Johnson’s Olde English 40-ounce skateboard for Blind. Image source: Sk8Cheddar.

Rudy Johnson’s 1990s Blind Skateboard deck with a 40-ounce of Olde English on it really caught my attention back in the day. It was simple and bold, and immediately recognizable. Perhaps more importantly, it also showed something that was part of skate culture at the time.

Sure, pounding a 40 and hurling yourself off a ledge or trying to grind a rail on a set of stairs is questionable, in hindsight, but let’s put that aside. Beer has long been intertwined with skate culture and that has manifested itself in a variety of ways – including its depiction on skateboards. These are a few of my favorites (I did my best to avoid any bad people.)

Johnson claimed that the idea for the 40-ounce board came from Blind co-founder and legendary skater Mark Gonzalez. Ironically, he says he had never even drank a 40 before the board was made. Regardless, they were a common sight at skate spots in the 90s. Though many boards came later that also featured 40s in some way – often with logo ripoffs – this one was one of the most memorable.

Elissa Steamer Corona bottle deck by Toy Machine. Image source: GFK BAR.

Speaking of logo ripoffs, Elissa Steamer’s Corona-inspired deck was also highly recognizable. Steamer was one of the most notable skaters in the late 90s and early aughts when she rode for Toy Machine and Baker. The era was marked by heavy partying, especially within the infamous Piss Drunx crew, which she was part of. It’s no surprise that the image of a beer made it onto one of her boards. Like many of her peers from that era who partied way too hard, Steamer is now sober.

Toy Machine’s roster has continued to include skaters who like a beer or two, including Collin Provost. His passion for beer was combined with a very Toy Machine aesthetic on the Beer Guzz deck.

Collin Provost Beer Guzz deck by Toy Machine and PBR/Santa Cruz Screaming Hand deck. Image sources: Board Paradise and Skate America.

At the height of Pabst Blue Ribbon’s (PBR) efforts to capture the hipster beer-drinking market, they partnered with Santa Cruz to release a deck that combined the iconic Screaming Hand design with PBR’s branding. The result? A pretty sick board that perfectly blends imagery for both brands.

The cartoon depiction of Milo Aukerman on the cover of the Descendents’ debut album, Milo Goes to College, is also iconic. One of the standout songs on the album is “Suburban Home”. To celebrate their fifth anniversary in 2023, Hermosa Brewing Company teamed up with the band to release Suburban Foam, a beer that was accompanied by a ton of cool merch – including a skateboard.

Suburban Foam deck by Hermosa Brewing Company and Crush it Like Quint deck by Narragansett. Image sources: Hermosa Brewing Company and Narragansett.

Narragansett, a slightly older name in the beer business, has done a great job of retaining its stature as an older brand while making well-calculated efforts to connect with a younger generation. This includes the release of a few skateboards. A particular standout is the Crush it Like Quint deck, which capitalizes on their long-standing association with Jaws.

At one point, Narragansett had a skateboard made for them by a now-defunct New England skate company called Tasty. Also gone is Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project (resurrected as Brewery of St Mars of the Desert in Sheffield, England). Before Tasty and Pretty Things closed shop, the latter had the former make a deck featuring their Jack D’Or character doing a kickflip. For fans of Pretty Things, it’s super cool. I’m one of those fans. I’d be willing to part ways with a non-essential organ to have one.

Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project deck by Tasty Skateboards. Image source: Tasty Skateboards.

That’s what I have for now. Let me know if you have a favorite board featuring beer. I might have to do a part two.   

Image source: Shutterstock

If you can’t find a thistle glass to pour your Scottish Ale into, don’t worry, it’s not really a thing.

While it’s true that the flowering thistle plant is an important part of Scottish heritage and culture, walk into any Scottish pub and you will not find people using this glass for beer. This is as true today as it was in the past. It’s not news, but it’s worth a brief post to help make the case.

(Just a note up front on the differing types of Scottish Ale. Though one might argue the thistle glass is reserved for the stronger Scottish Ales, I’m not getting into a breakdown of sub-styles and corresponding glassware here. Instead, Scottish Ale is used broadly relating to beer, and meant to encompass the varying terms you may hear like Scottish Ale, Scotch Ale, Strong (Scottish) Ale, Wee Heavy, all the shillings, etc. If you are looking for more information on what Scottish beer was and is, I highly recommend Ron Pattinson’s blog, Shut up about Barclay Perkins, as well his his books on Scotland.)

Why A Thistle?

“It is fitting that Scotland should have special glasses for her own mountain dew…” Old English Glasses, 1897

The flowering thistle plant became the national emblem and flower of Scotland due to a 13th century tale about a Norse invader trying to be stealthy while sneaking up on Scottish soldiers and with bare feet accidentally stepping on a prickly thistle. His cry of pain alerted the Scots, which allowed them to fend off the invaders and ultimately protect their homeland. 

In the Glass

Scottish thistle glass decanter and rocks glasses. Image source: Lyoncraft Engraving.

Centuries later, some suspect that thistle-shaped glasses made their way to Scotland from Bohemia. Given its significance to the Scots, the glass shape was warmly embraced. Highlighting its importance, the 1928 book Old Glass and How to Collect It, notes, “the earliest examples of English cut glass are perhaps the thistle-shaped glasses.”

However, it’s likely that the glass shape was used more for whiskey (as the above 1897 quote was referring to), sherry and other strong drinks rather than beer. Even then, its use was probably limited to the upper class.

More commonly, other glassware shapes incorporated the thistle through hand-cut or etched decorations. Additionally, breweries have used thistle imagery in their marketing.

William Younger beer mat featuring a thistle. Image source: Shut up about Barclay Perkins.

Maclay’s Export Ale beer mat featuring at thistle. Note the brewery name. Image source: Shut up about Barclay Perkins.

William Younger Scotch Ale ad from 1922 with a foaming pint of beer in a conical-type glass. “When dinner’s late, or when the meat Is overdone, - unfit to eat, When cook spoils soup and joint and curry, Just drink Scotch Ale and do not worry.” Image source: Invaluable.

McEwan’s Scotch Ale ad featuring a pokal glass. Image source: flickr.

Caledonian Brewing Merman label with a mythical figure holding a pewter tankard. Image source: Beerbible.net.

William Younger’s ad with a figure holding a dimple mug. Image source: Breweryhistory.com.

William Younger’s ad featuring a man holding a conical glass. Image source: Shut up about Barclay Perkins.

A survey of historic brewery marketing materials reveals no depictions of thistle-shaped beer glasses. If the glass is an iconic part of the history and culture, you’d think it would show up somewhere, but it doesn’t.

Instead, what you find are conicals, glass and pewter tankards, pokals, stemmed tulips and dimple mugs. Above are a few examples of older marketing materials from several notable breweries. An ad for William Younger’s notes, “A foaming tankard of this rich brown Ale gives the crowning touch to a hearty meal.”

Looking at the drinkware landscape for Scottish Ale today, it’s not much different. Typically, breweries and pubs use conicals, tulip pints and nonics. You may also see stemmed tulip-type glasses and dimple mugs. Traquair regularly depicts a tankard with their beer. Belhaven makes use of stemmed tulip glasses on occassion, but has recently been featuring a tulip-esque pint glass of their own (that seems similar to the newer pint glass that Guinness has been using. Perhaps it’s a trend. It’s not one that I’m particularly in love with.)

McEwan’s tulip pint glass. Image source: DRAM.

Traquair tankard. Image source: Traquair.

Fyne Ales stemmed tulip glass. Image source: Fyne Ales Instagram.

Belhaven pint glass. Image source: Greene King.

Scottish Beer in Belgium

The relatively flashy nature of the thistle glass design is atypical for a beer glass in Scotland (and most other places), but it’s right at home in Belgium where British beers were popular in the earlier part of the twentieth century.

The popularity led an English importer in Antwerp to create his own brand for the Belgian market. This brand, Gordon’s Highland Scotch Ale, was originally brewed by George Younger & Son in Alloa, Scotland (after changing hands many times, it is now actually brewed in Belgium). Their branded thistle glasses go hand in hand with the beer, now sold as Gordon Scotch Ale. They also often have a special Christmas edition thistle glass for their Xmas beer.

Gordon thistle glass. Trembling Madness.

Gordon Xmas thistle glass. Image source: The Brew Site.

It’s hard to find any history on this glass, but it’s not surprising that the company would embrace it being in a country where most breweries have their own unique glass shape. Many of them, like the thistle, are stemmed glasses with a tulip-esque appearance. The thistle glass was perhaps a way to assimilate with the Belgian beer market, while at the same time using something distinctively Scottish.

However, while there are numerous other Scottish-style ales being brewed in Belgium, Gordon may be alone with the thistle glass shape. Brands like Wielemans Scotch CTS (an historic example as the brewery closed in 1988) and De Glazen Toren have associated chalice-type glasses with their Scottish Ales, while Watney’s and Brasserie de Silly use stemmed tulips for theirs.

Wielemans Scotch C.T.S. beer mat. Image source: LastDodo.

De Glazen Toren Canaster Scotch Ale. Image source: De Glazen Toren.

Watney’s Scotch Ale. Image source: Cafe De Statie.

Silly Scotch. Image source: Brasserie de Silly.

Wrapping up

So where did we get the notion that the thistle glass was somehow an important part of Scottish beer culture? The Gordon glass may have played a role. However, the 1993 book, Scotch Ale, by Greg Noonan likely had a significant impact, at least in the United States. The cover prominently features a beer in a thistle glass. The book’s contents do not get into glassware or indicate an explanation for why the glass was used. Maybe it was influenced by Gordon. The influential book likely conveyed to a generation of brewers, homebrewers and enthusiasts, that the glass had some meaningful connection to Scottish Ale.

Book cover of Scotch Ale by Gregory J. Noonan. Image source: Brewers Publications.

While there are still some unknowns, it seems certain that the thistle glass was never a regularly used vessel for the consumption of beer in Scotland. This does not mean that it never will. Cultures evolve in funny ways and American misunderstandings occasionally have a backwards influence. Though odd for me, in this case, I don’t know if I would hate that.

So, the next time you’re having a Scottish Ale and not sure what glass to use, if that matters to you at all, you’re safe with a tulip pint, nonic, conical, or dimple mug. For strong brews, a snifter, chalice-type glass might be nice. If you have a thistle glass, go for it if it makes you happy.

For further reading on dimple mugs, check out this older post: Not All Dimple Mugs are Created Equal

For further reading on nonics (noniks) , check out these two older posts: An Incomplete History of the Nonik Glass and Revisiting the Nonik Glass History

People who have visited Suarez Family Brewery know it doesn’t provide the stereotypical taproom experience. The selection of beer served is thoughtfully curated and intentionally limited. They have Goldilocks pour sizes that are not too small to ensure you fully understand the beer, and not too big, because it’s a taproom, not a bar. (I’m not sure if this is their intent. Just my assumption). Everything from the snacks, furniture, bathrooms, and artwork is humble yet meticulously done.  Their recent expansion this fall is no exception, and an exciting new feature is a hand pump prominently placed at the bar for cask beer.

Opened in 2016 with a goal to make simple, everyday ales and lagers, as well as country ales, the addition of a hand pump in the new taproom is totally consistent with their ethos that celebrates simplicity and tradition with expert execution.  

While this is welcomed news to cask enthusiasts who are fortunate enough to make it to rural Livingston, New York, the potential repercussions may be the most exciting thing for people living further away. This is because of how influential Suarez has been, especially with their lager production.

The lager landscape back in 2016 was much different than it is now for small brewers and their customers. Many simply didn’t make or drink it. With all the attention Suarez had when they opened, people who had previously overlooked lager suddenly began to take notice. Now that they’re serving cask beer, hopefully the same can happen with the traditional British beer serving method.

Of course, Suarez isn’t the only brewery serving cask beer in their taproom. There are treasured breweries like Machine House in Seattle and Hogshead in Denver that have been doing it for years, and they’ve been doing it well. For those breweries, their focus is on English-style beer.

Beyond these, there’s a growing number that don’t focus primarily on English-styles, but have incorporated hand-pumped beer into their taproom service. Places like Good Word in Duluth, Georgia, Wild East in New York City, Bonn Place in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Fox Farm in Salem, Connecticut and perhaps most recently, Marlowe Ales in Mamaroneck, NY. Portland, Oregon is a particular hot spot in the country with Away Days, ForeLand, Steeplejack, and Upright regularly pouring cask beer, among others. These breweries that have more diverse offerings may have greater potential in introducing people to cask beer.

Though the taproom hand pump is new, Suarez planted the seeds for their cask beer service years ago. They’ve been making a few beer styles associated with cask beer that have been well-received. This includes their English-style Dark Mild, Saunter. That’s a style that many were not familiar with here in the US, and, like the influence they’ve had on lager, Suarez’s production of Saunter has likely helped many appreciate the traditional English ale. As a result, it’s not hard to find the style now.

Inspired by Theakston’s Old Ale, a beer that recently began being distributed here in the US again, they also released their take on that style late last year. The beer, Be It Known, is nitrogenated when canned to provide a texture that mimics cask beer.

Suarez has also temporarily installed a hand pump at events outside their brewery, in addition to casks used for bar top gravity dispense. However, having the handpump in the taproom creates a better way to introduce and educate customers to cask beer. This is due to the fact that the simple act of pulling a pint can get the attention of customers as it’s obviously not a standard tap. It usually allows for better temperature control as well. Finally, if you’re a fan of sparklers (which Suarez does use), you can use them to ensure a proper amount of foam.

Somewhat like the production of lager, making and serving cask beer is different than what many brewers and publicans are used to. So, while there is optimism with brewers like Suarez making cask beer, there must be a word of caution. Making good cask beer takes skill, training and experience. This is not news, but it’s worth repeating for a younger generation.  

Those who jump into cask production and service without knowing what they’re doing can really be detrimental if they end up serving lackluster beer to customers unfamiliar with the format. Customers may think a warm, under carbonated, oxidized beer is representative of cask as a whole.

That said, while there has been a ton of bad lager made in the wake of Suarez’s lager production, there have also been lots of good ones. And they keep getting better. This leaves me optimistic about the prospects of cask beer at the moment.