2016 Festival Map

Here is the table layout for the 2016 Michigan Cask Ale Festival. Check the mobile app for table assignments for individual beers. Enjoy!

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Available Now: Official Michigan Cask Ale Festival App for Android or Apple

New this year! For the Michigan Cask Ale Festival, coming up this Saturday, we've created a mobile app to help you navigate the largest celebration of cask beer in the state!

Download the free app now on Google Play (for Android) or the iTunes App Store (for Apple iOS) and:

• View the full list of, and learn more about, the breweries we've invited to participate from around the state and country.
• Read descriptions of the unique specialty beers available to sample -- more than two dozen in all!
• Take notes on each beer you try during the Festival.
• Buy your tickets (if you haven't already).
• Follow the official Festival hashtag #MiCaskAle -- sample socially!
• Receive the latest Cask Fest news and updates.

The app works on Android phones and iPhones as well as tablets like the Amazon Fire and the iPad. It will replace the printed program of previous years, so be sure to check it out!

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Bringing Cask Ale into the Modern World

New Orleans-based beer writer Nora McGunnigle has a new article on cask ale up on CraftBeer.com. In "Cask Ale’s Journey Into the Modern Beer World," she explores the growing popularity of cask ale in the U.S., and Americans' penchant for tinkering with tradition (often to the dismay of purists). She writes:

With American brewers, retailers, and consumers excited about the enhanced flavor potential of cask ales with nontraditional ingredients, this trend has taken on a life and technique of its own. It’s no longer an anomalous process—it’s a part of the culture as much as traditionally prepared casks.

At the Michigan Cask Ale Festival, you can expect to find more than two dozen cask ales from our brewer partners around the state and country, many aged with nontraditional ingredients such as lemon peel, tamarind, vanilla beans, lavender, grapefruit, and more! Be sure to check out the beer list as it continues to grow, and if you haven't already, pick up your advance ticket!

Read Nora's whole article on CraftBeer.com.

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Wall Street Journal: Are Cask Beers Worth the Fuss?

In a September 2015 article, the Wall Street Journal asked the question, "Are cask beers worth the fuss?"

We at Ashley's believe the short answer is "yes." For nine years we've sent cooperage to some of Michigan's and America's best craft breweries to have them fill it with fresh ale to naturally carbonate and condition, creating a more delicate and nuanced taste experience for attendees of our Cask Ale Festival. Some years we've even featured beers from other countries, including the UK, the world's cask ale capital.

The article notes how cask ale historically has not played a large part in the U.S. craft beer industry, but that it's catching on among American beer drinkers:

Here, cask beer accounts for a fraction of the craft industry’s output—1% or so according to the Brewers Association—but it’s gaining. Paul Pendyck, the leading North American distributor of cask beer serving equipment, has seen a steady rise in sales. “In the past five years it’s jumped at least 350 percent,” he said.

Ashley's is pleased to bring this unique style of beer to our guests each year. Once again we are featuring more than two dozen cask ales at one time in our Beer Garden. Want to see what the fuss is about? Be sure to get your ticket for the May 14 event!

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2015 Cask Fest Program Released

Want to get a jump start on prioritizing all the amazing cask ales you know will be tapped tomorrow? This year's program is now online for you to begin planning your where, what, when, and why. Click here to download it. See you tomorrow in the Beer Garden!

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