Beijing’s First Cask Ale System and More Happenings at The Factory

Katie Coy, Managing Editor | Mar 29, 2024 4:30 pm | Add a comment | 190 reads

Beer enthusiasts, prepare to get excited! Next week, on Apr 4, The Factory will be officially launching their new cask ale system. This will not only be the first of its kind in Beijing, but it will actually be the first cask ale system in China’s mainland!

As a Brit whose dad’s favorite pastime is sitting in a pub with a pint of ale in his hand, cask ale is a pretty familiar sight for me. For those less familiar, let’s delve a little deeper into just what exactly it is.

Cask ale, also known as real ale, is a traditional style of beer that undergoes a secondary fermentation in the cask from which it is served. Unlike kegged beer, which is artificially carbonated and served under pressure, cask ale naturally conditions in the cask, where it matures and develops its unique flavors. A cask ale system, or “beer engine,” operates on manual power using a hand pump, which draws beer from the cask. Using a hand pump allows for a smooth and controlled pour, preserving the delicate flavors and natural carbonation of the ale.

Cask ale is known for its unfiltered and unpasteurized nature, retaining live yeast that continues to ferment and condition the beer. This process results in a beer with a softer carbonation and a more nuanced flavor profile compared to its kegged counterparts. Cask ale is often sought after for its freshness, authenticity, and the skill of the brewer in crafting a product that evolves over time, providing a unique drinking experience with each pint.

Over half a year of painstaking development, The Factory (in partnership with Oak & Iron founder, master brewer, and innovative designer Akira) has created an authentic cask keg system. The official cask release will be taking place from next Thursday (Apr 4) until Saturday (Apr 6).

For this first cask release, there will only be four kegs available, so you’ll need to book in advance in order to secure your pint by scanning the QR code below. If you head there on Thursday, from noon until 4pm, they’ve also got special gifts and prizes in store! On Friday, from 6pm to 8pm, Akira will be giving a talk about Oak & Iron’s back story, English beer, and cask ale. For the final day of the cask release (Saturday) they’ll be offering food deals on all their English pies for a truly British pub experience!

The launch of their cask ale system isn’t the only exciting happening at The Factory though! Tomorrow (Mar 30) is the opening day of vinyl store Porco Disco, which is doing a pop-up at The Black Hole, located on the second floor of The Factory. Formerly located in the now-closed Baby Boom Bar (BBB), Porco Disco was established by Leo Furioso in order to make vinyl records accessible to all music lovers.

Porco Disco has a focus on secondhand disco, house, jazz, electronic, pop, and OST records, and most of them are reasonably priced at RMB 20-100. To coincide with the pop-up launch, Bring Your Own Vinyl (BYOV) will also be returning to The Black Hole. For further details on BYOV and how to sign up, check out this post here.

Lastly, on Sunday (Mar 31) The Factory will be kicking off the first of their Reggae Factory series on their rooftop. There will be special Caribbean cocktails, live Reggae DJs, Jamaican patties and a Jamaican jerk chicken set meal, the latter of which can be reserved in advance by scanning the QR code below. The set meal is RMB 68 in advance, RMB 78 on the day, or if you add a drink into the mix, RMB 118 in advance and RMB 138 on the day.

The Factory's Cask Beer Release will be taking place Apr 4-6, and participation must be booked in advance by scanning the QR code in the poster above.