ABOUT CASK THEORY
Right, so. This is a newsletter and blog about beer. But not the sort that makes you feel like you need a PhD to understand what you’re drinking, or that spending a tenner on a third of something hazy and unpronounceable makes you sophisticated. Cask Theory is for people who like beer and want to understand it better without the pretentious bollocks that’s infected craft beer culture. You know the type: the bloke at the bar who can’t just enjoy his pint without performing an interpretive dance about “the mouthfeel” and “notes of kumquat.”
The Real Story
Here’s the thing about beer. It’s brilliant, and it’s also surprisingly complicated. There’s actual science behind why that Session IPA tastes different from that Double IPA, why dry hopping works the way it does, why some beers cost £4.50 and others cost £7.80 for the exact same liquid. But you don’t need to be a brewer or a certified beer judge to appreciate any of that. You just need someone to explain it without being a wanker about it.
That’s what this is.
What You’ll Get
Every week, I write about beer styles, brewing science, industry observations, and the occasional rant about why the craft beer world needs to get over itself.
- » Technical Topics: Sometimes it’s technical (how carbonation actually works).
- » Practical Guides: Sometimes it’s practical (how to read a beer label without looking like you’re solving a cryptography puzzle).
- » Industry Takes: Sometimes it’s just calling out the stuff that needs calling out (yes, Wetherspoons might actually be good for craft beer, fight me).
The Price Tracker
Look, we’ve all been there. You suggest a pub, everyone agrees, then suddenly your round costs £35 and you’re doing mental math to figure out if you can afford to eat this week. In Belfast especially (but across the UK too), beer prices are all over the place. The Price Tracker helps you know what you’re walking into before you commit. Crowdsourced, receipt-verified, transparent. It’s not about boycotting expensive places.. sometimes they’re worth it. It’s just about knowing beforehand so you can plan accordingly.
Our Promise (The No-Bollocks Rule)
- No gatekeeping.
- No snobbery.
- No apologies for enjoying a beer in Spoons.
Just honest takes on beer, backed by actual knowledge, written in a way that doesn’t make you want to throw your laptop out the window.
If you’re craft curious but intimidated by the scene, if you’re tired of pretentious beer discourse, or if you just want to understand what you’re drinking without taking a night course, you’re in the right place.
Subscribe to the newsletter, use the price tracker, read the blog. Or don’t. I’m not your dad.
But if you do stick around, I promise to never use the word “quaffable” unironically, never write a 400-word tasting note about a 330ml can, and never pretend that spending more money on beer makes you a better person.
Cheers.