The big one, a suitable name for our IPA. We are not saying that drinking our IPA will develop parts of your anatomy to extraordinary proportions …….. we just felt the strength and imposing nature of this local hill figure/sculpture lent itself well to the name for our big IPA. However, drinkers beware, as we have had many reports of increased fertility after a few pints of the stuff!

Our traditional bitter, named after the eminent, local architect W.R. Crickmay, known for his award-winning exuberant style. A bitter drinker himself, he would have felt his name befitted this beautifully balanced, structured bitter and whose drinkers have known to experience ‘energy, excitement and cheerfulness – in other words ‘exuberance’!

Like its name suggests, this hoppy black ale is dark and mysterious, from a recipe that dates back through centuries to Roman times in Dorchester’s history. It is said that Centurions guarded the master brewer as he brewed this special ale to ensure that the ingredients and process were never disclosed. The mystery surrounding Durnovaria Dark meant that it was expensive and therefore could only be afforded by the rich and titled – thankfully our brewer is free to brew regularly so treat yourself to an ale fit for a king.

A mere mention of this name evokes feelings of terror and awe in equal measure. Educated to the highest degree, yet ruthless to the lowest, Judge Jeffreys, also known as ‘the Hanging Judge’ had the power to determine the fate of those Dorchester residents who had fallen foul of the law in the late 1600’s – one bang of the gravel and you were either condemned to the gallows or sent thousands of miles from you to some God-forsaken outpost of the new world. Thankfully, you can now relax and enjoy a pint of JJ and the only judgement you will receive is that you have chosen well!

To be twinned with a German town is a subject for debate over a pint or two as to whether it is an accolade or a condemnation but delve into the history of Dorchester’s twin, Lubbecke, and you find that with the headquarters of the British forces in nearby Bad Oeynhausen, the staff chose to be housed in Lubbecke. In fact even after the foundation of the Federal Republic of West Germany, certain buildings remained a base for British military staff – until as recent as 1983.

In respect of our local hill fort which holds archaeological evidence of human activity dating back to a mindboggling 1800BC, during the Bronze Age, when the site was first used for growing crops. Consider that this site could possibly have grown the very first hops?? Although it was a while before hops were used to make beer, because of their antibacterial qualities, they were widely used in herbal medicine. Perhaps Neolithic man enjoyed a type of ‘herbal brew’ in the same way as modern man enjoys a pint of our specially brewed amber/red ale, Maiden Castle.

Named after one of the original English settlements on the east coast of North America in the 17th Century, near Boston. The Massachussetts Colony is said to have been established by the Puritan minister John White (1575 – 1648) of Dorchester. His influence in establishing this settlement is widely recorded but the remarkable fact is that he managed to do this, without emigrating himself!

Inspired by the wonderful smells and aromas that you encounter as you pass through the botanical gardens, we thought this a fitting name for our seasonal wheat beer. Savour the taste of raspberries, sometimes blackberries, other times cherries, in this refreshing fruit wheat beer. Like the curator of the botanical gardens, our brewer experiments with the blending together of natural ingredients for your delectation.

An apt name for our very own house bitter. Brewed from a recipe which has been refined over the years, probably since this very site became the stationmaster’s house, the final destination of the ‘Southampton to Dorchester’ railway line, later named Castleman’s Corkscrew. Opened in 1844, ‘Castleman’s Corkscrew’ was a feat of engineering mastery, connecting all the important towns of the region by a meandering railway route which ended here in Dorchester. Enjoy a pint of this golden ale brewed by our head brewer.

Mysterious and symbolic are descriptions used when talking about the nine stones that form the unique bronze-age elliptical stone circle, a stone’s throw from here…or is it 9? Beneath the canopy of trees in dappled shade you can immerse yourself in the magic of this place, or if you can’t be bothered leaving this pub, experience the same magical tranquillity after a pint of our light, golden aromatic pale ale.

Inspired by the game which is played between teams who are trying to hurl one’s nurdle over a course called a Nurdleynge Alley – none the wiser? Nor are we, but apparently, the Double-Tongued dictionary explains the meaning of Nurdling as a ‘ridiculous British game, which can only be explained after many beers’ – we believe this is true and look forward to a full definition….

Inspired by the lead character and formidable heroine, the beautiful farmer Bathsheba Everdene, in Thomas Hardy’s classic novel ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’ based in Hardy’s Wessex, in and around Dorchester.

Enjoy a pint of this simple Pale Ale with truck loads of piney, grapefruity American hops and raise a refreshing glass to our American cousins – you could almost believe you were in a brewpub in Dorchester, Boston USA!

Everyone knows the world’s most hand-crafted beer is cask ale and in order to brew great cask ale, it takes a lot of fussing over; will react badly to being brewed on a large scale so epitomises artisan, small-batch beer; is very temperamental about where it lives -like a very discerning house guest it likes comfort and just the right temperature, which is why it is just so hard to make! But when you are served a freshly poured, well-handled cask ale, with its character flavour which our brewer has teased out of their favourite yeast, it’s a marvel! Project Cask has been created to allow the flair and expertise of our brewers to shine through. Changing each season, you will have the opportunity to taste amazing cask ales, from amazing ambers, to aged-old resurrected recipes, to the fruitiest pale ales or iconic porters, and it’s a great opportunity to invite guests to join you on your inaugral brew day!