The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is looking for the UK’s longest serving casks as part of its ongoing campaign to highlight ways for consumers to ‘Drink Greener’.
Cask beer is one of the greenest choices that drinkers can make at the bar because every element, from brewery to bar, can be reused.
In order to highlight the durability and sustainability of this traditional system, the Campaign is on the hunt for four champion casks:
- The oldest cask still in circulation.
- The cask with the highest number of reuses.
- The cask with the highest number of refills each year.
- The cask with lowest number of ‘beer miles’ for each refill.
While casks can remain in use for decades, the reality is that casks are often taken out of circulation far sooner through theft, misappropriation, or being unnecessarily scrapped for raw materials. Containers falling out of use early represents not only an environmental cost, but also a financial one too – with brewers bearing the loss of millions of pounds worth of casks and kegs each year.
Brewers who want to get involved and promote their casks’ green credentials just need to get in touch with CAMRA through social media.
Commenting, CAMRA Chair Nik Antona said: “There is innovative and exciting work happening across the brewing sector, creating new solutions to tackle the environmental impact of brewing but, like many traditional processes, cask beer is an inherently ‘green’ choice for consumers.
“For example, our friends at Broughton Ales have casks that have been in use since the 1950’s – and they’re still going strong! Powderkeg Beer delivers some of its beer just 1.3 miles from brewery to bar, saving resources every time they do.
“Cask beer is the ultimate no-waste option, and we hope brewers will take this opportunity to not only celebrate this, but also help CAMRA highlight just how much potential there is for consumers to ‘Drink Greener’!”
