As the nights draw in, it’s time to think about swapping lighter lagers and hoppy pale ales for the comforting appeal of darker, full-flavoured beers.
Matching perfectly with the robust flavour of autumnal dishes, the bottled ales from Dorset-based independent family brewer Badger Brewery come with nearly 250 years of brewing heritage. The wide range of beers, each with its own distinctive flavour, offer exciting opportunities for culinary combinations.
And, while fruit beers have been getting a lot of attention recently, Badger was one of the first UK brewers to create beers with fruit and spice notes, giving many of their beers extra food pairing potential, particularly with the richer fare of autumn, winter and the festive season.
The team at Badger, led by head brewer Toby Heasman, have created a handful of beer and food pairing suggestions, taking four of their most popular bottled ales and matching them with a range of seasonal foods, from autumnal pies to festive desserts.
- Cranborne Poacher Ruby Ale (5.7% ABV): With damson and liquorice notes, Cranborne Poacher is enigmatic, rich and full-bodied, offering complex flavours with notes of wild fruits, liquorice and chocolate malt. As the name suggests, the Poacher’s fruit character pairs perfectly with a rich game pie, a spicy spaghetti Bolognese, or the caramelised sweetness of a roasted vegetable bake. For a festive match, the full flavour of the beer ideally complements smoked salmon.
- Fursty Ferret (4.4% ABV): Fursty Ferret is a classic British amber ale, with crisp hop notes, and a moreish-ly malty backbone. Matched with a pub classic such as steak & ale pie or sausage & mash, the malt’s sweetness complements the rich flavours of the dish, while the bitter notes clear the palate ready for another mouthful. For the festive season, this traditional bitter is an ideal match with a British cheeseboard offering a mature cheddar and tangy stilton.
- Red Rascal Cherry Mild (4% ABV): One of the newest additions to the Badger sett, Red Rascal is a classic mild with added notes of vibrant cherry. Roasted malt and rich caramel notes unite with balanced bitterness for a satisfying mouthfeel that forms the perfect backdrop for the juicy, fresh cherry notes. The cherry tang makes Red Rascal is an ideal match with roast venison, fragrant Indian food flavours, or a rich chocolate fondant. On a festive menu, the combination of the cherry character and refreshing beer character make Red Rascal a great pair with a traditional roast duck or goose.
- Master Stoat Coffee Stoat: (5% ABV): Dark and satisfying, Master Stoat has a rich coffee flavour, which combines with a malty, toffee note to deliver a stout that is definitely a cut above the usual. Match the richness of Master Stoat with a braised short rib or roasted stuffed peppers, or if you’re tempted by dessert, the coffee notes pair perfectly with tiramisu or Christmas pudding.
Badger Brewery’s bottled ales are widely distributed in supermarkets and specialist stores across the country, and on the Badger Beers online store. A 500ml bottle retails at around £2.15. The beers are also available in bottle and on draught in many of the 150 Hall & Woodhouse pubs stretching across southern England. The Badger Brewery in Blandford, Dorset, started in 1777, and remains independent today, run by the seventh and eighth generations of the Woodhouse family.
