Are traditional styles such as bitter and mild fuelling a genuine resurgence in the cask ale category? Is premiumisation the answer to saving the ailing sector? In our final panel discussion from FyneFest 2022 we discuss our beloved cask ale, with enlightening (and often hilarious) results.
If you've been on Beer Twitter at all recently you’ll have likely noticed our podcast host Matthew Curtis harping on about bitter and mild. Cask beer is something we love at Pellicle and so we were always going to dedicate one of our panel discussions at Fynefest 2022 to this much debated category.
Joined by an expert panel including Mark Welsby of Stockport’s Runaway Brewery, Laura Rangeley of Sheffield’s Abbeydale Brewery, and Malcolm Downie of our hosts Fyne Ales, we attempt to get serious about the discussion around cask. We start by asking whether or not the resurgence in traditional styles such as bitter and mild is here to stay, or if it's merely a flash in the pan. (Or, indeed, consider if it never went away in the first place.)
We also dig into some more serious topics. With statistics indicating that the cask ale category is ailing, we ask if premiumisation is the answer to sparking a true resurgence, and debate the much talked over discussion point that is the price of a pint.
It’s been a thrill, as always, to host these discussions, and we hope you’ve enjoyed them as much as we have. We’ll be back for more at FyneFest 2023, so make sure you grab your tickets now so you can join us there. And don’t forget to subscribe to Pellicle via Patreon if you’re able to support our website and podcast with a monthly, or yearly donation.