History:

Cask-conditioned ale, the original method of preserving beer came under threat in the mid 20th century with the invention of the keg. Introduced in the 1950's a keg keeps ale chilled and preserved under pressure. By the early 1970's most beer in Britain was keg beer - filtered, pasteurized and artificially carbonated.

Though real ale could still be found in outer regions of northern Europe and South America, essentially the great stronghold of natural beer was about to be wiped out. It was at this time when the Campaign to Save Real Ale (CAMRA) stepped in to save what they came to term Real Ale.

Today, especially in the USA, only a few brewpubs are keeping the ancient tradition of brewing real ale alive. It has even been said that there is now more real ale being served in the United States than in Britain. Barley's is proud to be one of those brewpubs.