Ladies and gentlemen, beer lovers and ale nerds alike, start your engines . . . Your beer engine, to be precise.
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The hand pump, or beer engine (that's the technical term), is a uniquely British invention; a dispensing device especially designed to siphon beer from a cask; typically, ales that have been traditionally cask-conditioned.
Traditional cask-conditioned ales - sometimes referred to as "real ales" - are beers that have a lower carbonation than many other beers - like lagers, for instance - because they are usually served between 11C and 14C; much warmer than a standard pour . . .
"Beers that are poured using the traditional hand pump are served at a higher temperature than most beer drinkers would expect, but the higher temperature allows for lower carbonation which brings out the full natural flavours of the brew," says Rogue Scholar brewer Adam Hardy.
Now, for a warm climate like ours, cold beer makes sense. Obviously. Lagers and the like, are popular for a reason. And, the icy cold glycol beer dispensing systems behind pub bars do look . . . ah . . . pretty cool, especially with their frosted coating of white ice.
Temperature plays a huge role in lots of drinks being able to express their particular and distinctive aromas and flavours.
"When done well, serving beer 'real ale' style through a hand pump, direct from the cask gives a completely different beer experience to the drinker," says Shawn Sherlock of FogHorn Brewhouse. "The beers tend to have lower carbonation so the mouthfeel is completely different, which translates to a more malt forward palate and creamier finish."
Hand pumps are not intended for all beers, though. If you were to serve a cask-conditioned ale - something like a bitter, a porter, or a stout - through a regular dispensing system, the gas pressure and cold temperature increases the beer's carbonation, resulting in off-balance flavours and mouthfeel.
On the other hand, pouring an already carbonated beer, like a lager, from a beer engine will result in endless amounts of foam, more akin to a bubble bath than a beer.
"Real ales" possess greater aroma, flavour and textual complexities to share with the drinker; think English style bitters, brown ales, mild ales, porters, and stouts.
"I love being connected directly to the heritage and tradition of a hand pump. I also love the fuller body, lower carbonation and rounder mouthfeel that a hand pump provides," Sherlock says.
Rogue Scholar makes a delicious Dark Ale ($8, schooner) that's full of roasted barley and bitter dark chocolate notes up-front, with a creamy mouthfeel and smooth, dry finish. Meanwhile, Sherlock always has something 'real-ale-esque' flowing through their olde English beer engine at FogHorn. See out the beautiful Roaring 40s Best Bitter ($8 schooner).