Could Suarez Family Brewery’s New Hand Pump Spark a Cask Beer Revival?

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.