Brewery: Wye Valley Brewery
Location: Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire
ABV: 4.0%
Version: Draught
Source: The Goose & Cuckoo, Upper Llanover

Wife and kids away for a weekend, the dog walked for 4 or 5 miles, a bit of work done, curry waiting to be made at about 7pm, it’s mid-afternoon, sunny, and my bike’s sitting there just waiting to be ridden.  What’s a man to do?  That’s right … visit the Goose & Cuckoo.

It’s quickly become my favourite pub.  It’s a proper pub, with no jukebox, no mobile phones allowed, pickled eggs, 80 malt whiskies, and always a fine, ever-changing selection of ales.  There’s a damaged spread of plaster on one wall where faces appear, animals in the garden to keep the kids amused, and a picnic area across the road if you want to take your own grub.

It’s also at the top of the steepest hill in the universe.

So after my ride up there (and I admit, I pushed a little), the first order of the day was a pint of water.  While I was chugging that, I ordered a pint of Wye Valley Summer Stinger out of curiosity more than anything else.  An ale made with nettles?  OK, I’ll give it a go.  It’s a dirty job, but etc etc.

Glad I did try it.  Usually a fan of darker, slightly heavier beers, this light-coloured ale went down smooth and refreshing on such a hot day.  Slightly cloudy, with a subtle ‘countryside’ aroma – cut grass, heavy brambles, ferns and forest – it also had a gentle citrus aftertaste. 

From the people who bring us Dorothy Goodbody and her variously wholesome ales, this is another winner. I believe it’s one of their monthly aleas, but I hope they brew it again next year.

As for the Goose & Cuckoo, it was a fine couple of hours, and it’s on my calender for another visit very soon.

Brewery: Badger Ales (Hall and Woodhouse)
Location: Blandford St Mary, Dorset, England
ABV: 4.5%
Version: 500ml bottle
Source: Wine Rack

On the way down to the in-laws’ in Bridgnorth a few weeks ago, we stopped off at a branch of Wine Rack just outside Wolverhampton, just on the off-chance that I could pick up a couple of local brews. As well as one or two interesting-looking beers of West Midlands origin (that are still lurking in the beer cupboard) I also spotted this intriguing little number.

River Cottage (it’s endorsed by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and some of the proceeds from each sale are donated to charity) Stinger’s unique selling point is that it’s “brewed with organically grown, hand-picked Dorset nettles”, which was enough to intrigue me and convince me to grab a bottle, although the cynical side of me suspected that there was going to be more gimmick than genuine character to it, I have to confess.

The beer poured a very light, golden colour and shows plenty of effervescence. It was hoppy and not unpleasantly sharp-tasting; quite fresh and with a definite after-taste of something to it, which could very well be nettles. It also provided an appropriate prickling sensation on my tongue – although I suppose this could be due to the carbonation – and by the end of the bottle, I was sure I could feel a very faint numbness of the mouth-parts…

So: a pleasant enough beer that makes your mouth go vaguely numb and tingly (Gimmick? Character? Jury’s still out.) Not sure that’s enough to make me desperate to try this one again, but at least I’m not sorry I gave it a go.