Cask Beer Is Dying - Can (Another) Rebrand Save It?

Handcrafted, fresh, storied and most often locally made; cask ale should be the toast of beer lovers and regarded as the epitome of the art of brewing. Yet, it’s tanking.?Again.?With more ups and downs than a soap opera plot line, the story of boom and bust in the brewing world is once again on a downwards trajectory. More than 15 years after a rebrand to ‘craft’ beer peaked the interests of a new generation of drinkers, we ask, could yet another rebrand save it?

Cask beer; what is it? A product that requires expertise and skill, knowledge and care, cask conditioned beer is a living, breathing brew that reaches its peak via a secondary fermentation in the barrel. Made from a limited number of long defined ingredients and served without the use of carbon dioxide to ‘liven’ it up, it should appeal to a market driven by a fondness of all-natural claims and long held traditions. Not to mention the plethora of small, local producers still churning out the stuff. We still all love supporting the little guy, right?

And yet, it is tanking. And not just a little bit either. According to CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona, cask is in fact in a “steep, sustained decline” and is at serious risk of failing. Cask volumes have declined by 37.1% over the past two years. And yes, you should factor in the effects of the pandemic; cask has to be served in the on-premise after all. But cask was in decline long before 2020, when the forced closure of pubs in the UK really gave it a kicking. It’s estimated the number of venues now serving it has fallen by 20%, again over the past two years.

Dwindling appeal

While part of that decline is down to outlets – poor quality beers that aren’t looked after correctly don’t sell, and a short shelf life means many operators unwilling to gamble with what will sell, are reducing their range amidst unpredictable business conditions – a substantial part of the blame also lies in cask’s dwindling image.

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