MENU dorset issue 16 MENU16..dorset pdf issue 16 | Page 65

SEA DRINKER
t he
with Nick Moyle & Richard Hood -
the Two Thirsty Gardeners
Beer with a sting…
S
tinging nettles are a relative of the hop and can be used to brew beer. Here we present our own
recipe for a nettle-heavy ale, and catch up with a brewer adding them to his IPA.
Brewing your own nettle booze is not only easy, it’s a fun (albeit inefficient) way to rid your
allotment of the odd weed or two. Here’s how…
Pick the young leaves towards the end of the nettle – these are the most flavoursome. You’ll need to
forage around 900g worth for this recipe. Do we need to mention gloves? Probably not.
Flick off any bugs, wash the leaves and bung them in a large pan, along with 4.5 litres of water and
the zest of two unwaxed lemons, saving the juice for the next stage. Simmer gently for 10 minutes and
apologize to your family for the smell you are making.
Strain the liquid into a sterile bucket, along with 450g of demerara sugar and the lemon juice. Stir to
dissolve the sugar, then cover with a towel. Add an ale yeast when cool, re-cover and leave to ferment for
three days before bottling in expandable plastic containers.
Your zesty, lager-style beer will be ready to sup a week after bottling.
THE Gyle of MAN
We had a chat with Jon Hosking,
founder of Gyle 59: craft brewers of
an excellent Nettle IPA among other
award-winning beers…
Why did you decide to add nettles
to an IPA?
The beer was originally created for
the International Nettle Eating
Competition which just happens to be
held each year at our local pub – The
Bottle Inn in Marshwood.
How do you use them within the
brewing process?
To get the desired effect we make up a
nettle tea, which is then added to the
beer after fermentation.
How much nettle gets used?
We use only the new growth on the
nettle plant (before it flowers or sets
seed) and it only takes about four to six
stems per firkin - we only use the top six
inches of new growth.
What flavour characteristics do
the nettles add to the beer?
The nettle is added to a fairly robust
and hoppy IPA base, so the influence is
subtle. The addition of nettles provides
a herbal note to the aroma and taste
which smooths out some of the stronger
citrus/grapefruit hop notes present. I
have been told by some of our customers
that they notice the characteristic iron
flavour associated with nettle tea, but I
cannot detect this.
www.menu-dorset.co.uk
What has the reception been
like from your customers?
The beer has been received very well.
It was only going to be a one-off for
the nettle eating competition but has
become a firm favourite with many
of our customers including River
Cottage Canteen in Axminster, who
were the first trade customer to take
the bottled version. It’s a seasonal
beer, theoretically, but with the
milder winters we’ve been having, it is
available most of the year-round.
For more details: gyle59.co.uk
65