Anyone for a Badger?

All of this unbelievable weather reminds me of long country walks growing up in the country side just outside of Bath. We’d stick our Hunters on, unleash the dog and head off over the hill towards our local boozer, The Upton Inn. Run by Hall & Woodhouse they would always have a range of their own brand ales and when entering the pub the noise that commonly reverberated around the bar was ‘Pint o’ Badger my lover’ (chance to try out your best West Country accent).

Tangle Foot is also available in 500ml cans

Hall & Woodhouse now have pubs in over 10 counties across England and as the number of pubs grows, so does the reputation of their range of Badger beers and ciders. So as I am such a nice guy, I am going to give to you my top 3 Badger Best Buys for summer (alliteration: check).

Tangle Foot- My personal favourite, a golden, fruity ale with hints of melon sweetness. Perfect for summer drinking but still with enough bite, spice and bitterness to stand up to your typical pub pie. Named after an incident involving the Head Brewer, John Woodhouse, an excitable dog, and a lead tangled round an extremity (full story on the website), this beer really is a fun, smile on your face pint. It has also won a Bronze medal in the Best of the West awards three years running. It's proper gurt lush.

Hopping Hare- A light amber ale that has been ‘thrice hopped’ with three different hops during the brewing process. Hop varieties Aromatic Goldings and Cascade are added to give this beer an aromatic, sharp citrus aroma and the First Gold variety provides a firm bitterness. A well rounded, refreshing beer perfect for summer that has also won silver at the Best of the West awards in 2011.

Apple Wood- As the name suggests, this cider is matured in wooden oak vats, giving it an amazingly oaky, spicy flavour. All picked from one harvest of two varieties (Dabinett & Redstreak) it results in a fabulously complex, smoky medium dry cider. At 6% it also packs a nice punch and is a prime example of just how good Somerset cider can be, and one The Wurzels would be proud of. Ooohh-Arrrrhhhh!!

These three (although my favourites) are only a segment of their cete (11 in all, including 2 ciders) and are readily available in most supermarkets including Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose at around £1.99 each (look out for regular '3 for a fiver' deals), along with the rest of the range. Their selection caters for any need at any time of year, and all have equally witty names with a story to tell.

The Hall & Woodhouse website is also great fun and has an innovative ‘Discover your drink’ slide bar section and a full list of pub locations.

So stop being a wuss and grab a badger!

P.S Before you ask, a ‘Cete’ is the name given to a group of Badgers. FACT!