Seasonal Beer – Summer Aromatic, Fruity, Yeasty – Aromatic with fruity, peppery and hoppy characteristics; low in malt character with a dry finish We all know that being the shortest is not always associated with being the best – unless of course we are talking pastry, or how long it takes to get served a cold refreshing pint on a hot summer’s day – so the fact that The Fisherman’s Walk Cliff Railway is officially recognised as the ‘shortest funicular railway in the world’ at only 128 feet is perhaps of no particular consequence. That is until you consider just how much time and effort it would take to travel the long way round to the beach!

Seasonal Beer – Spring Our seasonal Witbier pays homage to its roots as an elegant, wheat based ale, perfect on a summer’s day and absolutely ‘singing’ with the aromas of herbs and spices. It was therefore fitting that we named it in honour of Gareth Malone, the man whose name has become synonymous with singing, and whose love of choirs began here in Bournemouth whilst attending the grammar school.

As a frequent visitor to the home of his good friend Merton Russell-Cotes (widely regarded as the town’s greatest benefactor), the actor Sir Henry Irving , most famous for his roles as Shakespeare’s Othello and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, helped popularise the health-giving benefits of a stay in Bournemouth. Conquering the handicaps of a speech defect and a dragging leg (the result of a childhood accident), Irving went on to become the greatest actor of the Victorian age, showing tremendous strength of character.

In tribute to Tony Hancock, the great funny man of television and radio throughout the 50s and 60s with his famous hangdog expression. Hancock’s razor sharp wit and comic talent is legendary and it is reported that he learned his trade from the many visiting acts who played at Bournemouth theatre and stayed as guests at his parents’ hotel. In his honour – and much like his humour – we have brewed a dry, fruity ale.

The contrasting flavours of this IPA being spicy yet sweet is the best tribute we could have to the privileged yet tragic life of Charles Rolls, pioneering aviator and co-founder of Rolls Royce, who at only 32, was the first Briton to be killed in an aeronautical accident – right here in Southbourne, in 1910.

Consider all the wonderful characters that have graced the insides of this house with their presence through times of former glory; in the 80s and 90s as the lively Malt & Hops, and even back to the 1890s as the majestic Pinecliff Hotel. It is only fitting that we name our wonderful house bitter, also bursting full of character, in their honour.

SIBA AWARD BEER What better way to toast Prince Ranji than to create an IPA with a citrusy character and a slightly sweet, smooth finish? Widely regarded as the greatest batsman of all time (and who is said to have honed his batting skills at Dean Park as was) Prince Ranji – full name H.H. Jam Saheb Shri Sri Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji of Nawanagar, British India – was born in 1872 and arrived on the South Coast after giving up his law degree at Cambridge. Estranged from his family and deprived of their money, he could not return to India and therefore spent his time playing cricket. With his unorthodox technique and fast reactions, he brought a new style to batting and revolutionised the game, resulting in W.G. Grace predicting that there would not be another batsman like Ranji for a hundred years; and arguably we are still waiting. At least there will be no wait for a great IPA!

Celebrate the talent and success of one-time Bournemouth resident Andy Summers, guitarist for The Police who achieved ‘Biggest Band in the World’ status when their third album Synchronicity reached No. 1 in both America and the UK in 1983, with a glass of our extra pale, lightly hoppy American Cream Ale.

Our golden ale is a fitting tribute to Southbourne’s most famous acting son Christian Bale, who first came to fame playing the main role in Steven Spielberg’s inaugural directorship of a literary adaptation and Hollywood blockbuster, Empire Of The Sun, at the tender age of only 13 years old and whilst still in attendance at Bournemouth school. Christian has since gone on to star in a number of amazing films such as American Psycho, The Fighter, Batman and The Big Short to name but a few…

In tribute to AFC Bournemouth’s very first professional footballer, Harry Baven Penton, who was signed from Southampton at the age of 20 , in 1910, for the princely sum of £10, and on a wage of only 30 shillings (£1.50) a week. Born in Boscombe, Penton would have loved this delicious Chocolate Hazelnut Porter brewed in his honour.

Inspired by their talent, drive, enthusiasm and popularity due to a winning streak and the need to house a new found large crowd following, John Cooper Dean, a local business man, in 1910, granted Boscombe FC a long lease for some wasteland (near to their current ground at Kings Park), right next to his cherry orchard. In doing so, he set the path for a long history of success for who we now know as the Cherries, or modern day AFC Bournemouth. Raise a glass of our finest Harvest Ale and consider how proud Mr JCD would be today at the club’s continued success.

We have fittingly and somewhat bravely brewed this strong, yet smooth, hybrid ale, bringing the best of a big IPA and a rich, malty dubbel, in spicy harmony, and named it after the strong defences of Southbourne; built during the Iron Age (c.700 BC) to defend the settlement on Hengistbury Head, now known as Double Dykes.

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!