Fun With Hand Pumps

I stopped in for an ale at McSorley’s the day after the election, a gloomy afternoon which saw the Old Ale House peopled with a few contented regulars and a handful of touristas.  Delicious.  I made a sketch of the disused hand pumps behind the bar.  These were used to raise ale from casks in the cellar up to the bar.  the technical term is “beer engine” and they date from the nineteenth century.  You can still find examples of these engines in the more ancient saloons, but no one has used this technology since the fifties when carbon dioxide pressure became the standard delivery system, so they are now merely decorative built-in reminders of the past.  Here are some fun facts to ponder, while grooving on all that gorgeous brass and mahogany, the next time you are lucky enough to find a set of vintage pumps:

The beer engine was invented in 1797 by prolific inventor Joseph Bramah.  Another of Mr. Bramah’s greatest hits was an improved water closet, so apparently he was thinking holistically about the entire life cycle of a pint of beer.  A great man, let’s all remember to lift a mug to his name at happy hour tonight.