A FIRKIN WALK

The ad for patrons to get excited for the Firkin Walk

     To celebrate the Hubster's birthday, our eldest millennial gave him tickets to the Firkin Walk in Appleton, Wisconsin. I am more of a wine person, but the Hubster does enjoy a good beer. The walk consisted of 10 establishments along College Avenue, and a couple near the Fox River. So in mid-September, we went on our first Firkin Walk.

WHAT IS A FIRKIN?

The Firkin containing cask ale.

     A Firkin is a small barrel of craft beer, usually referred to as cask ale; the barrel is a quarter the size of the standard size barrel of beer. Traditionally, the Firkin is a wooden vessel and can contain about 10.79 gallons. The Firkins on our walk were small aluminum kegs. The beer is called a cask ale which means it is locally made with a short shelf life. The cask ale/beer is not clarified, pasteurized, or forced carbonated. Natural carbonation takes place in the second fermentation in the Firkin. More hops are added at this time. However, I will say in all the brews we tried(except maybe two), none were overly "hoppy" in taste. All of this detail produces a unique, one of a kind crafted beer. The brewmaster would have a difficult challenge to duplicate the beer a second time.

WHAT WAS THE FIRKIN WALK LIKE?

     The Wooden Nickel was our first stop, where Tony(the proprietor) gave us a commemorative glass to be used at each establishment we visited, and a map of the participating businesses. Some places made their own cask ale, while other places such as the Wooden Nickel shared cask ale made by breweries in the surrounding area. At the Wooden Nickel, the cask ale was made by Ahnapee Brewery in Algoma, Wisconsin. Also, the Wooden Nickel offered two different Firkins, while others offered just one. Our first cask ale was a Bourbon/Maple Pumpkin Ale. I told Tony, he had me at maple. The other choice, we could  try, was an Oreo/Peanut Butter Milk Stout. This was a firm No from the Hubster and me. We have tried novelty beers similar to this one, only to be disappointed after two sips. Some places included food and snacks. The Wooden Nickel offered a full Taco Bar. Oh my Goodness! This was my favorite place!

The Wooden Nickel was our first stop.

 

Bourbon/Maple Pumpkin Ale

After this we were on our way down College Avenue. Another interesting stop was a place called The Bar on the Avenue. Their Firkin was Apple-Peach IPA from Pigeon River brewery in Marion, Wisconsin. This ale was just too "hoppy" for our taste. The hops drowned out the flavor of the apple and peach. The Bar on the Avenue also offered two craft beers from Pigeon River Brewery. Being more into savory, I tried a Salty Knot, a wheat beer with pretzels as an ingredient in the making of the beer. It was another favorite for me. However, the Hubster, a sweet guy, enjoyed Big Drop Citrus Shandy. According to the Hubster, it tasted just like a Sun Drop.

Some of the other establishments

on the Firkin Walk,

Appleton Beer Factory has on site brewery.

     Finally, another favorite place was McFleshmans Brewery on State Street, just off of College Avenue. The cask ale was made on the premises by a young brewmaster named Shane. For their cask ale, McFleshmans served Plummeting Mildy, a dark, mild brown ale aged on plum puree. Uh, it was okay, but not earth shattering. Instead we enjoyed the brewmaster's craft beer called the Hildy, a Pilsner with cilantro and lime. Those tacos from the Wooden Nickel would have been perfect with the Pilsner.

McFleshmans  has an on site brewery.

Description of the cask ale at McFleshmans

I am thinking tacos with the Hildy

Garlands of Hops

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER?

     Unfortunately, we made it to 7 of the 10 establishments. We had already been to the other 3 on previous visits to Appleton, and we were just too tired. However, we saw where improvements could be made. It was difficult for the bartenders to deal with the regular crowd and those on the beer walk. At most establishments, there was only one, maybe two, to deal with a jam-packed pub. Perhaps, more employees should be scheduled for the event. While the Wooden Nickel seem to be able to multi-task with ease, other places struggled. Establishments, such as the Appleton Beer Factory and McFleshmans had employees just for the Beer Walk. Kudos to them!
     Another drawback was the cask ale was getting warm as the day continued. Cask ales are to be served at 52-55 degrees fahrenheit, which is on the warm side. So a cool temperature was difficult to maintain due to a crowd of patrons on a warm September day. The temperature in Appleton that day was 76 degrees.

WOULD WE DO IT AGAIN?

     The Hubster says yes we would do it again, and I am his plus one. Appleton does a craft beer walk twice a year, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. It is always a fun time when different generations and people from all walks of life get together.
     As Beer Hunter, Beer Historian, and Documentarian, Michael Jackson(1942-2007) said, "To clink glasses of a freshly made, seasonal beer, preferably in a pub or garden, with friends and perhaps new acquaintances, is a ritual that makes every participant feel good. We may not rationalize this at the time, but it gives us a sense of place in our common community and our time in the tides of life on earth. This is a way to value beer and treat it with respect."

Until Next Time,

Minnie and the Hubster