The "what" and the "why" of what we do

In the distant past, America didn't drink its beer from bottles, cans or even kegs - but rather from casks.  These casks held "live" beer that contained living yeast which naturally carbonated and conditioned the beer.  A little over a century ago, the venerable cask went extinct in our country.  The current craft beer boom has done little to change this, and while cask beer is still a rarity in America (it's still very much available in the United Kingdom), it is the only kind of beer you will find at Laxton Hollow.  At the hollow, we savor tradition and how it can produce unique ales that cannot be replicated using modern brewing and dispensing methods. Come and find out what real ale served from a cask is about, what it tastes like and why you just might become its latest big fan.  

What is real ale?

According to CAMRA, an organization in the United Kingdom dedicated to preserving real ale:

"Beer brewed with traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide. The beer is unfiltered, unpasteurized and still active on the yeast. It can be served either from a cask or a bottle."

Aren't most "microbrew" and "craft" beers real ales?

Absolutely not. A very small minority of craft beers in the U.S. are classified as real ales. The standard method of carbonating these beers is "force carbonation" before bottling (much like the process used for soda pop), or dispensing from a keg using pressurized carbon dioxide gas.  Artificial carbonation does not just affect the body of the beer, but also robs the beer of natural conditioning where yeast continues to shape the beer with subtle flavor notes, complexity and an unmistakable delicate head.

Where can I buy American real ales?

There are few places where American-made real ales are available by the glass, and there are only a hand full of such places in Ohio. These beers are sold from a cask with a traditional hand pump; however, it's rare to find one of these beers using traditional ale ingredients such as floor-malted barley and noble ale hops. Traditional, small-batch ingredients can also make a very noticeable difference in the flavor, mouthfeel and appearance of a beer.

Why is real ale so rare?

Real ale is more difficult to produce, package and distribute in large volumes than the alternative. Real ale in a bottle cannot be sold until weeks after bottling (as opposed to immediately), and maintaining a cask system to sell beer by the pint requires special equipment and training few are willing to invest in.

Why drink real ale? 

You may or may not prefer real ale to force-carbonated beer - it's not necessarily better, but it certainly is different. Nevertheless, we believe it’s worth the extra effort.