6th annual New York State Cask Ale Festival set for Oct. 16

UTICA, N.Y. » “It’s been a long year and we all could use a beer with some friends,” says Woodland Farm Brewery Owner Keith Redhead, who hopes folks will come out to enjoy the 6th Annual New York State Cask Ale Festival on Saturday, Oct. 16.

This exciting NYS craft brewing event, hosted by Woodland Farm Brewery at 6002 Trenton Rd, Utica, will include participants from all across New York State and all of the Oneida County breweries such as: 7 Hamlets Brewing Company (Westmoreland), 16 Stone Brewpub (Holland Patent), Baggs Square Brewing Company (Utica), Beer Tree Brew Co (Port Crane), Buried Acorn Brewing Company (Syracuse), Copper City Brewing Co (Rome), Eli Fish Brewing Company (Batavia), Endless Life Brewing (Brooklyn), Fulton Chain Craft Brewery (Old Forge), Heritage Hill Brewhouse (Pompey), Saranac (Utica), Seneca Lake Brewing Company (Rock Stream), Strong Rope Brewery (Brooklyn), Upstate Brewing Company (Elmira).

This event is sponsored in part by the Heart of New York Craft Beverage Trail, which features all of the Oneida County breweries participating in this event.

Woodland Farm Brewery has worked hard to educate and promote cask beer since the brewery’s inception in 2015. Cask ale is the traditional serving method that predates kegging and refrigeration. It is naturally carbonated, providing a smoother mouthfeel and more robust flavors, Redhead explains.

For this event, all of the NYS breweries will be bringing unique renditions of their beers that are exclusively available at the festival, the owner said. Cask ale is often conditioned on additional ingredients including hops, chocolate, coffee, fruits, and other creative offerings. The styles of beer that have been confirmed for the event so far range from IPAS, brown ales, imperial stouts, imperial porters, and more.

Attendees are expected to enjoy an afternoon of unique cask offerings from all over NYS. Food will be available through Woodland Farm Brewery and music from Isaac French will round out the event, rain or shine. This is an outdoor event with plenty of space on Woodland’s lawn to enjoy beers and open air.

General admission tickets are $45, VIP tickets are $55, and designated driver tickets are $10. General admission tickets allow entrance at 3 p.m. while VIP tickets allow entrance at 2 p.m. for an additional hour of tasting, plus discounts on merchandise and food. Tickets and more information are available at Woodland Farm Brewery’s taproom or online at woodlandbeer.eventbrite.com

SUBMITTED PHOTO Three gentlemen sling their pints at a previous cask ale festival