This year, International Beer Day falls on the 7th August so what better excuse to stock up on some Dorset brewed beers?
International Beer Day is traditionally celebrated on the first Friday in August and while the usual events that are planned around the day won’t be going ahead this year because of social distancing and keeping everyone safe, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate with local beers and at local pubs.
In Dorset we’re lucky that we have so many incredible breweries making some truly incredible beers, from the more traditional flavours to more modern twists and even alcohol free versions. In fact, one of the oldest breweries in the UK, and the only remaining thatched one at that, can be found along the Jurassic Coast, making Dorset beers the best ones to celebrate International Beer Day with!
If you want a beer with a history as rich as its flavour, take a look at those offered by Badger Beer. These beers are crafted with the finest ingredients in their very own independently owned family brewery with each beer inspired by Dorset itself.
Another beer that takes inspiration from the local area in its creation are those from the Cerne Abbas Brewery. This micro brewery is based in the Cerne Valley and the drinks are made using green sand filtered water of the highest quality, locally grown barley and only top quality local ingredients. They have a wide range of different flavoured beers available from the traditional to the more unusual including the Ginger Fox and the Watercress Warrior, their beers even famously debuted at the Strangers Bar in the Houses of Parliament.
One of the region’s newer breweries is the Eight Arch Brewing Company which returned to the region in 2015 after a gap of almost eighty years. There is a core range which is available across the region and each order is hand delivered to local pubs. Usually Eight Arch Brewery opens their tap room on a Friday where you can go and sample the beers alongside some incredible street food provided by a local business, which would have been perfect for International Beer Day! You can pick up the full range on the online shop or by visiting the pubs and bars in Wimborne. Another more recent brewery is Piddle Brewery, who have a passion for blending the finest hops, barley and malts to create a wide range of regular and seasonal beers alongside the River Piddle. The team have been growing in recent years and invested in new equipment to make even more of their popular beers!
Southbourne Ales are another of Dorset’s more recent brewers, having started brewing on New Year’s Eve in 2013. Since then the range has expanded and features core flavours and four seasonal ones. They are based at the Poole Hill Brewery and like many of the others in the region love using local produce in their beers. You can find the full range on their website.
If you like your smaller, artisan beers take a look at what is on offer from the Wriggle Valley Brewery, though they are a small brewery, they produce a beer with a big flavour! The team create a range of six regular beers and four seasonal ones which are available from a variety of stockists around the south west as well as in pubs all over the UK. You can find details about where to grab the perfect pint on their website.
Will you be celebrating International Beer Day at home this year?
