Cask Ale at Fuller's
Fuller's is synonymous with cask ale, from London Pride to ESB, our brewing history and heritage still lives and breathes in all of our pubs. Whilst we are no longer brewers, we are still experts at keeping our ale and our cellars to a consistently high standards to serve our customers quality ale that you can enjoy only in the pub.
We are proud of this and celebrating all things cask ale - the original craft beer.
Brewing
The Griffin Brewery in Chiswick is an iconic site – and where it all began for Fuller’s. But its story started brewing before the partnership of Fuller, Smith and Turner in 1845.
In the late 1600s, Thomas Mawson laid the foundations for a major brewing enterprise by buying The George public house in Chiswick and two adjoining cottages. In 1816, the brewery first acquired the Griffin name and emblem that is synonymous with Fuller’s beers and pubs to this day.
In 1829, John Fuller was approached to invest in the brewery and when he died in 1839, his son John Bird Fuller inherited the brewery. In 1845, realising the size of the task in hand, he sought investment and expertise from third parties and John Smith – already helping to run a successful brewery elsewhere – was invited aboard. He invested on behalf of his son, Henry Smith, and his son-in-law, John Turner, and Fuller, Smith and Turner came into being.
Only in the pub
Cask is a live product that needs to be looked after properly – from the brewery through to when it reaches your glass. There is a lot to consider in the pub cellar to ensure the best quality cask ale. Casks have to be stored at the right angle, in the right temperature and treated with tenderness and respect.
Casks must be tapped 24-36 hours before serving, to allow them to breathe as it is a living product. Fortunately, our pub teams are experts in looking after the beers they serve – so you’re guaranteed to get the best pint of fresh cask ale in Fuller’s pubs.
Original craft
Cask ale is often dubbed as the original craft beer, it has a following of over 140,000 passionate Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) members and there are over 180 beer festivals every year dedicated to showcasing primarily cask ale.
So, what makes cask ale so special? Cask ale is rarely found outside of the UK, it’s the freshest form of beer there is and, therefore, takes skill to not only brew it but also to look after once it’s in the cellar. Cask beer is a live product that is unpasteurised and unfiltered – it is also conditioned, meaning it continues to ferment inside the cask, allowing flavours to develop further. At Fuller’s, we are proud to consistently serve the best quality cask ale.
Master Cellarman
The Master Cellarman award recognises consistently high cellar quality standards in Fuller’s pubs. Our teams across our pubs are offered in-depth cellar training courses to provide them with the necessary skills to ensure customers always get the best possible pint when in a Fuller’s pub.
