Food & Drink | Posted on June 15th, 2026 | return to news

Dorset Beer Boy celebrates National Beer Day

Did you know today is Beer Day Britain, an annual celebration of UK beer and breweries?

By Crafty Beer Boy (Ryan Perry)

Beer… the cornerstone of British culture, from that cheeky Friday night pour and a quiz-night quaff to that perfect pint of bitter with a Sunday roast. As a nation, we adore this champion of malty, hoppy deliciousness. Here in Blighty, we have been loving the old amber nectar for over 1,000 years, with the first beer being brewed in Colchester in 1412. But for many, beer is that classic cold, fizzy continental lager.

Wow… though there’s a big old world of beer out there, with over 100 styles to explore.

Today, on Monday 15 June, we celebrate Beer Day Britain, and I am asking you to try a new brew. With cask beer seeing a resurgence in the last year, you might want to sample a traditional classic. From Bitters, English IPAs, Golden Ales and Pale Ales, these beers deliver wonderful flavours using British hops, and many pair brilliantly with British classics like fish & chips, the mighty pork pie and a beef roast.

Or perhaps you’re feeling adventurous… easy, tiger! You could try a modern twist on a classic, such as a citrus-drenched West Coast IPA, a tropical juice-bomb Hazy IPA, a zingy Sour, or a smooth, roasty Milk Stout. The UK is blessed with some of the most wonderful traditional and modern craft brewers, and here in Dorset and Hampshire, we are lucky enough to have some award-winning examples.

Take a quest to find the Holy Grail, AKA your new favourite pour. Starting over in the New Forest, you have Vibrant Forest in Hardley. Their beers are bursting with flavour, especially their king of beers, Pupa, a crossover between a West Coast and East Coast Pale Ale, delivering tropical fruits, citrus bursts and beautiful resinous pine. It’s one of the most delicious beers you’ll try and is perfect with one of their very own pepperoni pizzas… bosh!

Sticking with the New Forest, you’ll find the most idyllic taproom over at Pig Beer, situated in the heart of the forest. With its festival vibes and outdoor rustic charm, this is the perfect post-walk pit stop. You have to try their Storm IPA; it’s an absolute staple, with beautiful grapefruit and resinous pine notes. And if you feel like spoiling yourself, you could pop a cork and try their award-winning Chorus Fine English Sparkling Beer, brewed using Chardonnay yeast. Think of it as the champagne of the beer world, with bright apple, blackcurrant and biscuity notes, along with some very cheeky bubbles dancing on your tongue. Grab your pals! Any excuse for a celebration.

Heading south to the Hampshire coast, we have the stunning Hall & Woodhouse Beach House Pub. With coastal grandeur, this mansion pad has incredible vistas overlooking the Isle of Wight. Grab yourself a pint of their Outland Milk Stout, with its rich, creamy mouthfeel. Tantalising chocolate, roasted coffee and toasted bread notes combine beautifully. Pair it with their chocolate and raspberry torte and you’ve got a match made in heaven. When pint meets plate, it’s decadence with a capital ‘D’.

It’s time to jump over the border into Dorset and hit up Wimborne, a beer and foodie hotspot with two top brewers. First stop: Eight Arch Brewery. Jam- packed with very happy punters, this beer icon delivers forward-thinking modern brews in a hip, cool industrial-style taproom. Your first pour needs to be their Square Logic Pale Ale, loaded with peach, tropical mango and citrus peel. The use of oats in the brew makes it as smooth as silk and so session-able that it gets the Crafty two thumbs-up.

A short hop away, and you’re at Brewers Folly. It has the friendliest rustic charm, and the taproom is based inside the brewery itself. The place is filled with chitter-chatter, laughter and people having an utterly fantastic time. With their super, passionate and friendly staff, you’ll find yourself making your way through the lineup. Now, you didn’t expect lager to be featured here…but this is one lager that should not be missed. Brewers Folly Lager is outstanding, with proper depth of flavour, beautifully bready character and a perfect crisp finish. It’s ideal for a Dorset summer day.

Skip south over to Poole and we have Jenkins and Sons, an old butcher’s shop turned gorgeous pub. This place is a cut above, with fittings from its butchery days mixed with a cool, well thought out interior. It’s a chic place to hang out. What’s more, they have a very impressive bitter that you simply have to meet… Sandbanks Brewery Bitter. A cask classic with a stunning copper hue, caramel and burnt-toast notes, and that perfect bitterness, it’s the ideal partner to an indulgent steak and ale pie. The bitterness of the hop’s cuts through the rich savoury flavour of the pie, creating an immaculate pairing.

This wonderful institution we call the boozer, the local, the watering hole, the Great British Pub is a tradition we should cherish and support. These places offer great community spaces, wonderful food and drink, and are part of our heritage. Yet these sacred institutions are going through a rough time right now, with two pubs closing every day.

So, get out there, discover a new place and treat that palate of yours to something altogether new. On that note, I am off down the pub.

Happy Beer Day!

For more content from the Crafty Beer Boy, visit www.craftybeerboy.com. You can find him on TikTok via @craftybeerboy and Instagram via @crafty.beer.boy.