We’ve teased that this year we’ll be having a bar dedicated to US cask ales, and now we can give you a bit more information on that.

Each year the New England Real Ale eXhibition (NERAX) has 72 firkins of UK cask ale sipped over to pour alongside the best cask on the East Coast. And then the empty casks are filled with beers locally and shipped back to the UK for the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF).
This swapping of beers has been incredibly well received for many years now, with the US Cask Bar usually the first to sell out at GBBF.
When we heard that there was to be no GBBF for the foreseeable, we wondered what would be happening to those US cask beers, because it would be such a shame for the opportunity to drink them this side of the pond to disappear. A couple of years ago when GBBF was on a fallow year the casks were distributed across the breadth of the country for several months, something we don’t think showcases them at their best, or allows for judging of the prestigious Mchael Jackson Award (no, not the singer). After some initial enquiries we were put in touch with Ryan who runs NERAX and after a brief chat we agreed to take them all (except for a couple of casks that will be heading to St. Albans.

So Peterborough Beer Festival will be hosting up to 70 different US cask beers, and the award, and the beers will be available on their own bar until they run out. And there is only one firkin of each beer!
We still don’t know what beers will be turning up, but we do now know which breweries have taken empty casks to fill, and we can share that list with you:

• Aeronaut Brewing Company - Somerville, Massachusetts
• Ambition Brewing - Wilton, Maine
• Amherst Brewing - Amherst, Massachusetts
• Amory's Tomb Brewing Co - Maynard, Massachusetts
• Ardent Craft Ales - Richmond, Virginia
• Backbeat Brewing Company - Beverly, Massachusetts
• Bonn Place Brewing Company - Bethelehem, Pennsylvania
• Break Rock Brewing - Quincy, Massachusetts
• Bright Path - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
• Castle Island Brewing Co. - Norwood, Massachusetts
• Cambridge Brewing Co. - Boston, Massachusetts
• Concrete Blues - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Daydreaming Brewing Co. - Derry, New Hampshire
• Dutchess Ales - Wassaic, New york
• Fair Winds Brewing - Lorton, Virginia
• Fifth Hammer Brewing Co. - Long Island City, New York
• Forest & Main - Ambler, Pennsylvania
• Gentile - Beverly, Massachusetts
• Good Word - Duluth, Georgia
• Great North Aleworks - Manchester, New Hampshire
• Harpoon - Boston, Massachusetts
• Heavy Seas Beer - Halethorpe, Maryland
• Idle Hands Craft Ales - Malden, Massachusetts
• Jack's Abby Craft Lagers - Framingham, Massachusetts
• Lamplighter Brewing Co. - Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Liar's Bench Beer Co. - Portsmouth, New Hampshire
• Martha's Exchange - Nashua, New Hampshire
• Medusa Brewing Co. - Hudson, Massachusetts
• Moniker Brewery - Providence, Rhode Island
• Mothership Brewery - Burlington, Vermont
• NewSylum Brewing Co. - Newtown, Connecticut
• Nod Hill Brewery - Ridgefield, Connecticut
• Odd Bird Brewing - Stockton, New Jersey
• Origin Beer Project - Providence, Rhode Island
• Pivotal Brewing Co. - Bristol, Rhode Island
• Post & Beam Brewing - Peterborough, New Hampshire
• Remnant Brewing - Somerville, Massachusetts
• River Remedy Brewing Co. - Rome, Georgia
• Sacred Profane Brewery - Biddeford, Maine
• Sly Fox Brewing Co. - Pottstown, Pennsylvania
• Small Change Brewing Co. - Somerville, Massachusetts
• Strong Rope Brewery - Brooklyn, New York
• The Guild - Pawtucket, Rhode Island
• The Tap Brewing Co. - Haverhill, Massachusetts
• Tonewood Brewing - Oaklyn, New Jersey
• Tributary Brewing Co. - Kittery, Maine
• True West - Acton, Massachusetts
• Vitamin Sea Brewing - Weymouth, Massachusetts
• von Trapp Brewing - Stowe, Vermont
• Watson Farmhouse Brewery - Southbury, Connecticut
• Wayward Lane Brewing - Schoharie, New York
• WHYM Craft Pub & Brewery - Hampton, New Hampshire
• Wild East Brewing Co. - Brooklyn, New York
• Wrecking Bar Brewpub - Atlanta, Georgia

I’ve tried some beers from a few of these, and have heard great things about many more, so I can assure you we really are in for a treat, showcasing that American breweries can actually make great beer!

Steve