L.A. CASK ALES NOT TO MISS AT FIRKFEST THIS WEEKEND
BY ERIKA BOLDENFRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015 | 1 HOUR AGO


Firkfest 2014
Erika Bolden

At the sold-out Firkfest, on March 21 at Farmer's Park in Anaheim, SoCal breweries will bring their cask-ale A game, with creative interpretations ranging from hop infusions to local fruit and herb additions. The fest and its lineup are well worth the drive across the Orange Curtain (as long as you already bought your tickets).

Traditionally, cask beer has undergone secondary fermentation in a cask vessel — for example, the ten-gallon firkin from which the festival takes its name. Any carbonation in the unpasteurized, unfiltered beer is a natural byproduct of the yeast and not added CO2. Compared to keg beer, it can have a more complex flavor and lighter carbonation, and is considered by some to be a finer specimen of draught.

Navigating the lineup of unusual ales might be a little daunting, so here are our recommendations for which L.A.-brewed beers are not to be missed. Taste in order of ascending alcohol content and move fast — last year casks kicked quickly.


Beachwood casks at CaskForce 2014
Sarah Bennett

Denver Jackhammer DIPA, 9.3% ABV; Beachwood BBQ & Brewing (Long Beach)
This West Coast-style double IPA infused with Chinook hop flowers from Beachwood takes the cake for biggest hop bomb of the fest. The dry-hop lineup will “bulldoze your olfactory senses with aromas of fresh resin, bright tangerines and herbal dankness,” according to the brewery. Consider yourself warned.

Hammerland DIPA, 8.6%; El Segundo Brewing (El Segundo)
Firkfest founder Greg Nagel calls Hammerland an “insta-whale” for its rarity and rising cult status. ("Whales" refer to beers that are sought after and hard to find.) This double IPA brewed with Simcoe and Mosaic hops recently won a coveted first place and best in show at the 15th annual Bistro Double IPA Festival in Hayward, Calif. Recently available in bottles, it’s our newest L.A. beer obsession.

Alpha Wolf IPA, 8% ABV; Golden Road Brewing (Los Angeles)
Golden Road takes their core beer, Wolf Among Weeds, and triple dry-hops it to make this palate-busting IPA. With a combination of Columbus, Chinook, Simcoe and Cascade hops, it’s a contender for the most aromatic selection at the fest. Also try Princesa Peach, their Berliner Weisse aged in tequila barrels with peaches.


Tapping firkins at Smog City Brewing's Battle of the Casks
Facebook/Smog City

PhoTonic IPA, 7.3% ABV; Smog City Brewing (Torrance)
Hoptonic IPA gets an exotic makeover with the addition of kaffir lime and Thai basil. Infusions and fruit additions are becoming a specialty hobby for this Torrance brewery, which often embarks on urban foraging adventures to procure citrus. No kumquat tree in the city is off-limits.

Selah Saison, 6.8% ABV; Monkish Brewing (Torrance)
There aren’t many saisons at Firkfest, so trying Monkish’s elegant farmhouse ale with brettanomyces should be a priority. The dry-hopped beer gets even more enticing with an infusion of chamomile and lavender. Shaolin Kick, a take off the brewery’s Shaolin Fist with Sichuan peppercorns, will also be making a reappearance.


MacLeod brewmaster Andy Black at the L.A. Beer Week Kickoff 2014
Facebook/MacLeod Ale
Jackie Tar Brown Stout 3.8% ABV; MacLeod Ale Company (Van Nuys)
Firkfest is MacLeod’s time to shine, as it's the only local brewery that exclusively produces traditional British cask ales. Jackie Tar is a great beer to begin the day with; its strong roasted malt character and low alcohol awaken your tastebuds rather than decimate them. Along with The Little Spree Yorkshire pale ale, MacLeod’s will have six total beers in tow.
I must hit Monkish Brewing up. Perhaps they will help sponsor our Drunken-Style-Championship