We stopped at the Leaning Cask late in the afternoon this past Sunday. We were in the general area so we made our way there though we had decided it would be a rather quick stop being Super Bowl Sunday. When we arrived there was parking for blocks. The town seemed to have been deserted. Perhaps everyone was already strapped to their couches for the big game. When we went in the place was empty minus the two young ladies behind the bar. We made some general small talk with the one and was given a paper menu to study in lieu of straining my eyes on the chalkboard one.
Dog owners be proud! They love their pooches here. Very dog friendly with every beer name inspired by our beloved best friends. But not just any pup will do. No the ales are largely slanged after European breeds. Since we were the only patrons, and I love nothing more than to engage the staff at every brewery I go to, I start asking questions along with my first drink order of Double Dog Dare. I like how they offer different sizes and let you taste test before committing. The bartender started to tell us about the owners and how they started as home brewers. They also have a deep connection to England and try to utilize different English style techniques and flavors in their beers, and how their tasting room and brewery is modeled after a traditional English pub. For those of you wondering how they do it over the pond, per Wikipedia: "As a beer brewing country, England is known for its top fermented cask beer (also called real ale) which finishes maturing in the cellar of the pub rather than at the brewery and is served with only natural carbonation. English beer styles include bitter, mild, brown ale and old ale." I also asked about food, and she said they generally have trucks on the weekends, but more specifically I asked if they were considering adding their own menu (British Style)? She said it was an idea they bounced around but nothing concrete. Now that would be a really cool addition to this town!
For my last beer I tried Imperial Ridgeback and liked it a lot, even better than my original American style IPA. Leaning Cask is certainly a worthy competitor in our Western PA Brewery market!