Real Ale; what is it? It sounds pretentious, as if suggesting that there is such a beverage as Fake Ale. Well, perhaps this is not so far off the mark. But, setting aside that argument for the moment, perhaps a formal defintion is in order. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Real Ale is

"a name for draft (or bottled) beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide."

Good beer doesn't travel well. Variations in temperature form warehousing and transportation can wreak havoc on the quality and the flavor. And not only that, but those additives and preservatives that are not discussed on the label of the bottle aren't doing you any favors.

In order to keep our casks in peak condition, and to serve in an optimum way, we have built a temperature-controlled cellar behind the bar. This temperature will be maintained at 52° F (11° C), a bit on the cool side of the recommended range of 50°—55° F (10°—12° C). The stillage has been built to accommodate 8 casks, six of which can be in service and connected to the six beer engines on the bar at any one time. We are using CypherCo plastic firkins shipped from England that are automatically kept at the correct angle of incline based on remaining volume in the casks by the use of Tilt-a-Cask auto tilt mechanisms from A-Cask, another product shipped from England.

You would have to search far and wide, perhaps involving the journey over a large body of water, to find a more authentic pint.