Christmas is coming, and what better way to enjoy the festive season than with five litres of fresh draught beer at home?

Here at Fyne Ales, we’ve been expertly packaging our award-winning beers into mini-casks and mini-kegs for over ten years, but the last 18 months has seen an explosion in popularity of our 8.8-pint mega cans – with Christmas on the horizon, and the online order deadline looming even closer, we thought we’d put together a simple buying good if you’re considering some awesome ale at home this December.

ONLINE SHOP ORDER DEADLINE – MIDNIGHT, MONDAY 20 DECEMBER

But first, some mini-cask and mini-keg basics for those new to the format:

1. All mini-casks/kegs ordered on the online shop today will have a ‘best before’ date sometime in January (check the bottom).
2. Mini-Casks are best consumed within 3 days of first opening, mini-kegs are best withing 24 hours of opening.
3. Easy to use and no additional equipment required – mini-casks and mini-kegs have built-in taps and vents, with instructions printed on the side!
4. Mini-Cask and mini-kegs hold five litres or 8.8 pints of beer – mini-casks are packaged with yeast so around half a pint may be lost due to sediment settling to the bottom (below the tap).
5. Mini-casks start from just £21.50 – less than £2.50 per pint!

1. BEST FOR TAKING IT EASY
Jarl 3.8% & Fresh Hop Jarl 3.8%

Of course, we have to start with our flagship modern classic, Jarl – a single-hop Citra beer that delivers huge flavour despite a very sensible 3.8% ABV – so if you’re looking for something sensible to sip over a few festive evenings, this one is for you.

Alongside it on the online shop, you’ll find a new special edition of our flagship beer brewed using fresh Citra hops flown in from the USA. The imaginatively named Fresh Hop Jarl is a whole new spin on beer, with aroma and flavour turned up to 11. If you already know and love Jarl, treat yourself to this very limited one-off version. And if you’re not familiar with Jarl yet, find out this Christmas why it’s one of Scotland’s best-loved cask beers.

SHOP NOW – JARL MINI-CASKS

SHOP NOW – FRESH HOP JARL MINI-CASKS

2. BEST FOR HAVING FOLK ROUND
Fyne Lager 4.7%

Fyne Lager is a crowd-pleaser, there’s no doubt about it. The recipe for our modern hoppy helles was designed by our technical brewer Yvonne, who trained in Germany and spent several years at some of the country’s best lager breweries – so it’s safe to say that she knows a thing or two about brewing a great lager! Available as mini-keg, which means it’s best consumed within 24 hours of opening, we think Fyne Lager is a great option if you’re looking for something to crack open when you’ve got a few folk round and maybe a few of them aren’t quite craft beer or cask-ale converts… yet.

SHOP NOW – FRESH FYNE LAGER MINI-KEGS

3. BEST FOR TRYING SOMETHING NEW
Hoppy Holly Daze – 4.7%

Our latest small-batch special brew is a new twist on an old favourite – a somewhat non-festive Christmas release that, rather than relying on cloying fruit additions or sickly spices, is a straight-up full bodied satisfying sipper – a 4.7% amber ale liberally flavoured by our favourite West Coast American hops hat combine to offer zesty citrus and pine notes on top of a smooth body with touch of caramel sweetness that finishes long and lingering. It’s a cracker for cold winter nights.

SHOP NOW – FRESH HOPPY HOLLY DAZE MINI-CASKS

4. BEST FOR TRADITIONALISTS
Hurricane Jack 4.4% / Highlander 4.8%

Looking for something a bit more on the traditional end of the scale? How about a mini-cask of our characterful blonde ale, Hurricane Jack or our traditional Scottish amber ale, Highlander?

Hurricane Jack is a 4.4% smooth and easy-drinking blonde ale – on top of a biscuity body there’s layers of easy-going citrus and a little touch of stone-fruit flavours that will leave you wanting more and more – which is good because you’ll have five litres of it to enjoy!

SHOP NOW – HURRICANE JACK MINI-CASKS

Highlander is a 4.8% amber ale that tips its hat to the traditional Scottish shilling styles – it’s got a robust backbone of coloured malts and touch of European hops for a lightly fruity edge and a bitter-sweet finish.

SHOP NOW – HIGHLANDER MINI-CASKS

5. BEST FOR LONG-TERM AND GIFTING
Mini-Cask Club Membership

We can’t finish without a shout-out to our Mini-Cask Club service – because mini-casks are for life, not just for Christmas. Members of our cask-at-home subscription club get:

1. Ten litres of fresh cask every month, include exclusive first-try of new specials
2. Permanent 10% off online shop orders & Brewery Tap purchases.
3. First access to ALL new releases on the online shop.
4. A prize-draw for an extra case of beer each month for one lucky member.
5. A free gift or snack in every other month’s mini-cask delivery (six times a year).

All this, for just £45 a month including delivery, saving over 15% vs retail!

MINI-CASK CLUB – SIGN-UP

AND now you can prepay for three months membership for the beer-lover in your life! Fixed-term Mini-Cask Club memberships are available in the online shop, so if you’re looking for the perfect gift for the beer-lover who has everything, give them what they really want – more beer.

FIXED TERM MINI-CASK CLUB – ORDER NOW

Thanks for reading – if you have any questions about mini-casks, mini-kegs or mini-cask club, be sure to give us a shout via the contact page or on social media and remember to get your order in for some festive draught-beer-at-home before MIDNIGHT Monday 20 December 2021!