Pints and Pint-sized: The Cask

The Cask: great beers, great sausage, not bad for kids–just come prepared.

January 21, 2014; 6:00 AM • by Richard Hayes

The Cask is a former hair salon turned beer destination. The inside has a nice, if a bit spartan, feel, but what I’m really looking forward to is when they’ll roll back the garage door windows in the spring and I can enjoy the murals of the GRTC barn.

It also happens to have some fine sausage and cheese. Usually when talking about sausage and cheese in relation to a pub or bar you would think “too many men and too many pickup lines”–this is definitely not the case. The sausages are locally made by Sausage Craft, and the cheeses fall into the artisanal bucket as well. Don’t go in expecting a large menu and a lot of options but the food you do get is going to be top notch. Pizza Tonight sometimes slings pizza in the parking lot which will increase your food options. While, Pizza Tonight isn’t on a regular schedule with The Cask, they will be there on January 29th.

One minor warning: this isn’t a late night spot as the hours are 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM.

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Pint score: ★★★★★

This was an easy one. The Cask has great beers, and the staff knows them well and can point you in the right direction. On the rare occasion that the server didn’t know the details on a freshly tapped keg he came back with a sample and details from the bartender. Typically they have 13 beers on tap with a nice spread across styles. There are alway at least two or three Virginia beers available, but what separates The Cask from some of the other brew pubs are the foreign beers. For example: last week they had a Ettlarer Curator Dopplebock and also a nice, light Pils by Schonamer. Also they have a good relationship with the local distributors and breweries; I stopped by on a random Sunday, and they were tapping a pin of the ultra rare Hardywood Gingerbread Bourbon Barrel Stout—it was delicious by the way.

They have a good selection of bottled beers to fill in the gaps on the taps, but c’mon you want a draft. I know it, you know it, and your tastebuds know it.

Pint-sized score: ★★★★★

It’s not a bad place to take you child, but come prepared. Food options are very limited, basically a hot dog and Route 66 chips for most kids. On the bar side there are high tables and stools which usually spell either disaster or constant climbing up and down for the more energetic young ones. The other side of the space consists of tables, and while they aren’t right on top of each other there’s no barrier between other parties and your family. This means her sensitive juvenile ears might hear a conversation that you’re not ready to explain. It also means you may suffer the glares of the childless when your precious acts up or is just a normal, loud kid. The Cask has barren walls so even a tried and true like “I Spy” is not likely to keep him/her occupied. The only thing that will keep your child busy is you.

Treat The Cask as if you’re going on a car trip. Bring snacks, coloring books, toys, etc. Bottom line, no effort has been made to accommodate children, but there is no effort to prevent them from hanging with you and enjoying a Sunday afternoon beverage.