The Beer Temple is preparing to compete for its third consecutive victory in the Mild Masters Invitational, a contest focused on pouring the most English mild ale, according to a March 19 announcement. The event will take place from Friday through Sunday and involves breweries from Pennsylvania and Seattle.
The competition highlights a growing interest in lesser-known beer styles such as English mild ale, which is known for being smooth, toasty, and low in alcohol. The event encourages customers to try this style and participate in a loyalty program that offers discounts for frequent orders.
Beer Temple owner Chris Quinn said, “We’re big fans of a style that … well, it doesn’t exactly set the world on fire. It’s not the coolest of styles, but we really like it and we thought the idea of a ‘March Mildness’ was particularly funny.” Quinn explained that his bar has won the past two years by selling hundreds of pints during each competition. The winner receives the Golden Sparkler trophy, which he described as fitting for such an unusual event: “As ridiculous of an event this is, it is only fitting to have this be the trophy,” Quinn said. “Mild is an obscure style, serving something on cask is obscure and mild on cask is as obscure as it gets.”
Cask-conditioned beer differs from most draft beers served in the United States because it continues fermenting in its vessel and is served at cellar temperature rather than cold. Quinn noted that cask beer should never be “warm and flat” but instead offers natural carbonation and subtle flavors. He added that The Beer Temple has offered cask-conditioned beer since opening its taproom about nine years ago.
This year’s contest includes Forest & Main from Pennsylvania—now counting both its original brewpub outside Philadelphia and its new city outpost—and Seattle’s Machine House Brewery. Quinn said he invited Machine House after learning their showcase inspired Forest & Main’s own event: “I basically challenged them to a duel,” he said. “Come on and get your butt kicked if you dare.”
Despite competitive banter among participants, Quinn described the rivalry as friendly with shared enthusiasm for promoting English mild ale: “That’s kind of the real reason for it, to have a celebration around a style that’s worthy of celebrating,” he said.
