Welcome to Seneca Lake Brewing Co.
Setting the standards for Cask & Bottle Conditioned Real Ales.
our story.
Formed in 2014 by British native - Bradley Gillett, Seneca Lake Brewing Company had one vision in mind - to become the leading provider of Cask & Bottle Conditioned Real Ales in New York State. Operating on an 8 barrel brewing system imported from Lancashire, UK, Seneca Lake Brewing Company produces a diverse portfolio of cask & bottle conditioned real ales including their flagship British Style Real Ales.
each batch of ale produced is to the highest quality ensuring that every pint poured can be enjoyed to the fullest. As New York State's only dedicated cask ale brewery Seneca Lake Brewing Company is setting the standards for cask & bottle conditioned ales across the State. Enjoy a pint & conversation with Bradley or any of our team pulled through a traditional British Beer Engine in our Tap Room – The Beerocracy a true turn of the century Tudor Style British Pub nestled in the heart of the Finger Lakes.
bradley gillett
Owner & founder
Born in Cranleigh – England, Bradley spent many a year with his hands in the alcoholic beverage industry. Working in pubs from an early age Bradley quickly learnt the basics behind beer which continued to grow through his later years where his passion for craft beverages continued to grow.
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Bradley comes from a family of 13 children (through parents Margaret & John) so family is (and always will be) a major part of his life. this family now extends to friends he has met through The Beerocracy and the craft beverage industry.
One of Bradley’s biggest passions is cooking, and you will regularly find him cooking at The Beerocracy or outside BBQing/cooking over an open fire.
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Bradley’s favorite beer style is the Bitter Family of ales and you will regularly find him at The Beerocracy with a pint of Baker Street, The Beerocracy Bitter or The Dunmore ESB in his hand.
What is Cask and
bottle conditioned
real ale
Unfiltered beer, usually ale, that is racked (transferred) into casks, nano casks or Bottles, sealed and then undergoes secondary fermentation in the cask. The net result is a beer that has a much gentler level of carbonation, a rounder, smoother mouthfeel, and since it is unfiltered, usually shows a slightly more complex flavor and aromatic profile. It is often slightly cloudy, and is best served at cellar temperature (between 52°F - 57°F). It’s considered “live” beer since it is unfiltered and has live yeast in the cask.
What Makes Cask
Real Ale Different
From Keg Beer?
Normal keg beer is filtered, carbonated to usually 2.4 volumes of CO2 and pushed out of the keg with CO2. Cask ale is dispensed traditionally by being pumped out of the cask using what is called a beer engine (hand pump). Since there is no CO2 pushing the beer out of the vessel, air is allowed to enter the cask as the beer is dispensed. This means that once tapped, the beer must be consumed within 10 days before it will start to go completely flat and spoil. Also, unlike keg beer, Cask ale is best served between 52°F - 57°F. This temperature allows all of the flavor nuances to emerge and permits appreciation of the unfiltered texture.
Serving Real Ale
From the Cask
While the traditional method for dispensing cask beer is through a beer engine (hand pump), it can also be dispensed using a cask tap. This is literally a faucet that is hammered into the cask through the keystone (hence the term tapping a cask). Once tapped, the beer is dispensed by gravity. As the beer flows, air is allowed to enter through the spile (a small wooden peg used to control the flow of air into, and carbon dioxide out of a cask).
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We encourage you to stop in, try a pint and see the difference for yourself