Simplicity of cask ale

UK blogger Stonch is practicing what he preaches, managing a pub. On cask ale, he offered this observation:

A lot of fuss is made about the handling of cask ale. People talk about beer being "well kept" in reverential tones, as if the publican were entrusted with a task of baffling complexity. In reality, if the beer arrives in good nick, only three things matter: the temperature of your cellar, how quickly you sell ale and your willingness to follow basic instructions.

I would add "keep the pipes clean." Dirty lines and dirty storage yield dirty beer.

And, of the "willingness to follow basic instructions": that can often seem the most difficult task for which a brewery asks.

Yesterday, I spiled two casks for tonight's organic beer dinner at Magnolias Mill in Purcellville, Virginia. I did attempt to follow my own instructions! How to serve cask ale: a photo primer.

Come taste.

(Caveat: I sell the beer being poured at the dinner.)