Transforming Tradition: Cask ale turns contemporary with ‘Casktails’

One of Britain’s most historic beverages, cask ale, has been reinvented in cocktail form by Greene King Brewery as it releases a series of ‘Casktails’.  

To celebrate Cask Ale Week (18 – 28 September), the brewer is bringing the taste and versatility of the traditional ale to life with a series of ‘Casktail’ recipes, combining the deep flavours of cask with contemporary cocktail ingredients.

Co-created between Greene King’s head brewer Jack Palmer and top mixologists Soulshakers, the recipes include:

• ‘Golden Sun’: Old Golden Hen cask ale with sake, yuzu soda and pink grapefruit juice. The concoction – served over ice with a grapefruit garnish - brings a savoury, citrus pairing to complement the malty flavouring of the ale. 
• ‘Greene Dragoon’: Greene King IPA combined with dry gin, triple sec and lime juice – complemented with a Bombay brittle for an added flavour concoction.
• ‘Devilled Hen’: Bringing Old Speckled Hen, bourbon, fresh ginger, orange and lemon together in a citrus noted blend, with orange garnish forming devil horns on the long glass for added flair. 
• ‘Abbot’s Ember’: A blend of Abbot Ale, spiced rum sabayon with bitters brings a malty, spicy notes to the deep biscuity flavouring of the iconic cask beer. Decorated with a chocolate flake, this blend brings warm, dessert flavours to the spotlight. 

Greene King Brewery hopes the creation of the ‘Casktails’ will open cask ale up to new audiences. 

The launch comes as new research found that just a quarter (27 per cent) of Brits class themselves as cask ale drinkers, but 36 per cent are open to trying it.

Despite the fact cask ales are generally thought of as being drunk by men (40 per cent), the research found almost as many women (33 per cent) as men (38 per cent) were keen to try it. 

Other common misconceptions included cask ales being for those who are knowledgeable about beer (33 per cent) and those who are more ‘traditional’ with their drink of choice (29 per cent).

Meanwhile, a third of all adults (32 per cent) say cocktails containing beer are appealing.

Further results from the survey of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Greene King Brewery with OnePoll, revealed that one in five men currently avoid drinking cocktails in public in case they get mocked. Though despite many feeling self-conscious drinking them, over half (56%) admit they like cocktails, with 50 per cent revealing they have or would try such a drink if it contained ale.

Jack Palmer, Head Brewer at Greene King Brewery said: “For centuries, cask ale has been a part of British culture. It has been around since before records began - literally. This year we wanted to remind the British public of the immense flavour only found in cask and hope our new twist with the classic ale will further drive the excitement and appreciation of cask.” 

Michael Butt, Director at Soulshakers, added: “As a cask lover first and mixologist second this was a brief from heaven. Creating cocktails using ingredients with complex flavour profiles is a real challenge, much harder than balancing a drink based around simple spirits, and therefore more rewarding. 

“The range of beers from Greene King brought varied aromas and character from the malt used, the type and amount of hops used and the brewing process, delivering wildly differing palates, mouth-feels and finishes. 

“This broad range of notes to work around and develop gave us huge scope in terms of ingredients used and the styles of drinks that we could make. We hope that these recipes give you inspiration to explore the different cask ales in your local, to try more complex cocktails and even to experiment at home with your own cask cocktails and pairings.”

Greene King Brewery is encouraging people to visit the pub this September to try a cask ale and find their favourite style and flavours. Beer and cocktail lovers alike can also vote for the ‘Casktail’ they’d most like to see on the menu to be in with a chance of winning a bespoke ‘Casktail’ evening with an expert mixologist at a Greene King pub location of their choice.  

Votes should be made via the webpage and will close in line with the completion of Cask Ale Week on 28 September. The winner of the ‘Casktail’ evening will then be contacted to arrange their visit for early 2026. 
To vote for your favourite ‘Casktail’, visit: https://www.greeneking.co.uk/our-beers/casktails

Terms and Conditions

Greene King Brewery x Casktails competition T&Cs

Promotion open to UK residents only, aged 18+. To enter, participants must enter on the webpage their details, including their local Greene King pub, and also select their favourite casktail recipe. 
The promotion opens at 00:00 on 18th September 2025 and closes at 23:59 on 28th September 2025.
One winner will receive one casktail evening for up to four people, aged 18+ on the date of their choice, subject to the mixologist’s availability and pub’s availability and requirements in January 2026.
The casktails available will be subject to the cask beers available at the pub at the time of the event and will have a maximum of four drinks per person.
The winner will also receive a £100 Greene King e-voucher to spend of food during the event.
Terms and conditions are available at Promoter: Greene King Brewing and Retailing Limited, Sunrise House, Ninth Avenue, Burton upon Trent DE14 3JZ.