Cask Days 2012 is almost here! I will be attending on Sunday and I’m counting the hours! This year promises 71 breweries and over 100 cask ales. That is a lot to manage! If you want to make the most of it you need a strategy. Everyone’s will be slightly different but here are some ideas to keep in mind:

1. Plan ahead of time. Check out the Cask Days website to see which casks are expected to be at the festival over the course of the weekend. There’s no need to be overly analytical but having an idea of what you’re getting into is a good idea. Also, check the weather ahead of time. It’s worth it.
2. Plan your escape. Included in the above is your plan of departure. Driving is a bad idea after a cask festival. Don’t be THAT guy. Just don’t drive. Having “one or two” doesn’t work at Cask Days. Be responsible. Shuttles are available.
3. Come to terms with the fact that you can’t try everything. As much as you would like to adopt the Pokeman (“Gotta catch ‘em all!”) methodology it won’t work. Like Pokeman it’s literally impossible to catch them all without cheating in some way. Also keep in mind that not all casks will be available at all sessions. Once you’ve resigned yourself to this fact (and there’s no shame in this) you need a game-plan to maximize your experience.
4. Develop a game-plan. There are many ways to play this: create a hit-list, go with the flow, focus on a style, etc.
5. Bring a pen. You’ll get a cask list and venue map on arrival. What better way to make a plan than to write it down. Put indicators next to the beers you want to try – very useful if you’re taking the hit-list approach.
6. Don’t think too hard about your first beer. Grab the first thing that looks interesting as soon as you get into the event. There will be plenty of time to wander and explore the venue but you may as well do so with a beer in hand.
7. Make a bee-line for the token stand. Grab a beer immediately (as noted above) and head for the furthest token stand with no line. Especially if you arrive early. You don’t want to be caught without tokens as attendance is hitting its peak!
8. Maximize! Sharing is caring. By splitting your hit-list you can optimize coverage if you have someone you’re comfortable with to share samples. You get half a sample of 2 casks ales for the same token.
9. Ask the servers what’s popular. They’ll be able to tell you what’s pouring fastest. Typically the first casks to blow are the best ones.
10. Don’t make plans for post Cask Days on Sunday. After it’s done you’ll want to go for a quick bite or home to bed. Remember, you’ll have effectively been at an all-day kegger (casker?). Get some rest.