It has been a dodgy last three weeks.
We almost had the Cask Zombie make another unwelcome return this week, but thanks to some shaky notetaking on a 27-hour train ride back from South Florida, it appears that the Cask Whisperer may be re-emerging from an extended funk to once more inform and entertain (we hope).
I cannot provide much in the way of up-to-date information or advice for the cask enthusiasts amongst us, except to avoid most of South Florida; Matthews Brewing in Lake Worth excepted.
I didn’t get to Matthews this past week, just too busy keeping an eye on my granddaughter and helping prepare for two birthdays; more about both of those later.
I did manage to sneak out to the Cove Brewery in Deerfield Beach twice though; no cask but they have a deft hand with the lagers and some very interesting sours.
It is a very friendly place with a proper beach vibe and attitude; just four visits this year and I am treated like a regular.
I also got to check out Euroland which is a recently opened Eastern European supermarket with a good selection of Polish bottled beers and an even better selection of kvass; for those in the know Euroland reminded me a lot of NetCost of which we have around ten locations in the NYC area, mostly Brooklyn.
A fine plastic bottle/cask of kvass was my constant companion as I went about my chores last week.
So, what about those birthdays?
Thursday, July 4th – 247 Years and Counting (Hopefully)
The City of Deerfield Beach puts on one of the best fireworks displays in the country, in my humble opinion.
I have enjoyed them many times over the recent years, all from the privileged perch of a high rise balcony right across from the beach itself, and the historic fishing pier from which the fireworks are launched.
This year was the most spectacular yet, but the occasion much more somber.
I have celebrated this as an invited visitor for fifteen years and as a proud citizen for another thirty, but I have to be honest, this year I watched the fireworks over the waterfront with a great deal of anxiety, wondering where I would be and where this country would be by July 4th, 2025.
We all need to watch this one carefully.
I hope we all have good cause to continue to celebrate.
Saturday, July 6th – 100 Years and Counting (Hopefully)
This one was equally if not more important, and not just to me and my family.
The primary purpose of my visit to Florida this year and all prior years, was to celebrate the birthday of my father-in-law Herman Haller.
Herman may not be a celebrity outside of Queens and South Florida, but as one of the few remaining Holocaust Survivors, should be considered a national treasure, and this year he reached the age of 100, with four generations of family, and friends from NY, NJ, VA, TX and FL all coming to Deerfield Beach to help him celebrate.
Long may this family tradition continue.
Thursday, July 11th – Less than 70 Years (Who’s Counting?)
This one pales in comparison with the other two, but it is important to me, and I plan on parking myself in JWF after work and downing a couple; I may even have myself a pie and mash.
I got my birthday present yesterday, from Ollie Watkins.
It’s coming home folks!
…and the funeral?
Well not really, but we did lose one of our beloved cats Mrs. Bagel a week ago; her heart just gave out at around fifteen years of age (we estimate).
Mr. Bagel is still a little confused, but slowly getting used to the extended range that he now has in our apartment.
He will have a new playmate for the summer though.
As of now and for an as-yet undetermined period of time, my granddaughter will be staying with us at Whispering Creek, while her dad recovers from injuries sustained in a serious car accident in Texas three weeks ago.
Yep, it has been a dodgy last three weeks.
But what about that train ride eh?
They call it the Silver Meteor and I have taken it and enjoyed it many times, but you have to wonder; if it had overshot Miami back in the day and ended up in the waters off of the Yucatan Peninsula, we would still have the dinosaurs around.
One for the ages.
Scorecard w/e 07/11/24
In the past week and a bit, The Cask Whisperer has enjoyed the following casks:
- Strong Rope Aurora 24 Blonde Ale @ Jones Wood Foundry
- Strong Rope Shebeen Spring Ale @ Jones Wood Foundry
Upcoming Cask Events (Festivals and Otherwise)
9/7/2024: Noah Webster House Real Ale Harvest Festival, West Hartford CT
11/8/2024: Two Roads Cask Fest at Area 2, Stratford CT
11/9/2024: 20th Annual Blue Point Cask Ale Festival, Patchogue NY
Upcoming Random NYC Casks
- Sadly, no erratics have been identified so far this week.
NYC Cask Venues
Known Operational/Active Beer Engines
- Jones Wood Foundry (x2)
- Fifth Hammer
- Wild East
- The Shakespeare (x3)
- Cask Bar & Kitchen
- Drop-off Service
Occasional Pins (worth a follow on Instagram)
- Strong Rope
- KCBC
- Tørst
- Blind Tiger Ale House
- Threes Brewing
- Brouwerij Lane
