Ruby Rooster (Hatherwood)

Name: Ruby Rooster
Label: "Craft ale - 100% British Barley - Hatherwood Craft Ales, Ales With Real Character"
Brewery: Hatherwood
ABV: 3.8%

Rating: "The Ruby Rooster Ale has been traditionally craft-brewed using Burton water, 100% British barley and a blend of Pale, Crystal & Chocolate malts, delivering toffee malt flavour which is balanced with the aromatic and refreshingly fruity character of Fuggle, Golding, Cascade and Styrian hops. Jeff Drew - Head Brewer."

Game: Oh no! I just inadvertently let some of my Pikmins drown! Pikmin 3 is brilliant. The HD graphics look amazing and I can already tell the puzzles are going to get fiendishly difficult as the game progresses. It's devastating when the little Pikmins die too, either by coming a cropper due to environmental hazards, or if they get left behind at sunset and become a late night snack for the local beasties wandering around. The gamepad controls are a treat too. I wouldn't want to play it any other way. Rating: 8/10.

Golden Goose (Hatherwood)

Name: Golden Goose
Label: "Craft ale - 100% British Barley - Hatherwood Craft Ales, Ales With Real Character"
Brewery: Hatherwood
ABV: 3.8%

Rating: "This Golden Goose Ale has been traditionally craft-brewed using Burton water, 100% British barley and a blend of Pale & Crystal malts, delivering a distinctive rich malty flavour which is perfectly combined with the classically refreshing, bitter finish of English Fuggle and Styrian Golding hops. Jeff Drew - Head Brewer."  I've never had a Hatherwood beer before. I can report they're great! Just googled Jeff Drew and seen he's Head Brewer of Ringwood & Wychwood Brewery at Marston's PLC. Erm.... so where does Hatherwood fit in? What the actual..?

Game: After my disastrous Half Life 2 gaming session yesterday, I'm pleased to say I'm back and fighting fit. Beer really does make everything better!  Tonight I'll be back on the Wii U playing Pikmin 3 which I've just purchased. I nearly didn't buy it because everyone seems to be going on about how the controls using the new gamepad are rubbish and the wii-mote and nunchuck (which I don't have) are by far the better control system.  Edge online reckon the gamepad is great though and having never played a Pikmin game before, that's what I've based my purchase on. That one review... GamingAles review incoming soon.

Trooper (Robinsons Brewery)

Name: Trooper
Label: "Onward, Onward Rode the 600... The Charge Of The Light Brigade, which inspired the Iron Maiden song The Trooper, took place at the Battle of Balaclava (1854) during the Crimean War when 600 British cavalry courageously charged the massed Russian artillery. This gallant but foolhardy assault resulted in a massive loss of life and came about due to a misunderstanding of an order given by the commanding officer, Lord Raglan."
Brewery: Robinsons
ABV: 4.7%

Rating: "Trooper is a premium British beer inspired by Iron Maiden and handcrafted at Robinsons brewery. Being a real ale enthusiast, Bruce Dickinson has developed a beer which has true depth of character. Malt flavours and citric notes from a unique blend of Bobec, Goldings and Cascade hops dominate this deep golden ale with a subtle hint of lemon." Iron Maiden beer! Probably my most favourite ale to date!

Game: The Wii U is so great I've hardly touched the Xbox for a while. Tonight though I'm back on it with Half Life 2. Big mistake actually! Currently traversing rivers and storm drains on one of those things that floats on water with a fan behind it (you know, like what Gentle Ben used to ride on through the Everglades). It has made me feel incredibly nauseous for some reason. So much so, I've had to turn it off and I'm now typing this instead. I felt fine when I was playing Mario so I'm currently not sure if its the game or whether I'm coming down with something. In fact I'm not going back to gaming at all tonight, it's that bad. I'm off to watch some of my Fringe boxset instead. Plus Iron Maiden beer makes everything better!

All Creatures (Black Sheep Brewery)

Name: All Creatures
Label: "Bright & Beautiful - Yorkshire Pale Ale"
Brewery: Black Sheep
ABV: 4.0%

Rating: "Brewed in celebration of James Herriot, this is a light, bright Yorkshire Pale Ale with a stubborn hoppy kick! It's carefully crafted at our brewery in Masham in the heart of Herriot country, using a blend of Fuggles, Goldings and Bramling Cross whole flower hops."  I didn't much care for the telly program, it was something that your mum watched, but this beer more than makes up for it.

Game: Strangely there was an article on C&VG today about how the 3DS is selling really well and the 'marketing boss thinks software will drive Wii U sales'.  Stranger still is the fact that for me, the 3DS software I've been playing DID make me buy a Wii U last week! That marketing boss is a frickin' genius! Give him a pay rise, quick! I'm amazed by my Wii U. I should have got one sooner. Currently playing Mario, Monster Hunter 3 and ZombiU. ZombiU is brilliant by the way, don't believe what IGN / Gamespot have said, their brains must have been zombie-chomped.  Think game mechanics more akin to Dark Souls rather than the awful Left 4 Dead and you're on the right track.

St Piran's Ale (Skinners's)

Name: St Piran's Ale
Label: "In celebration of St Piran - The Patron Saint of Cornwall + Cornish Surfing.  A righteous man, St Piran floated from Ireland on a millstone which he surfed onto the Cornish beach that bears his name. He became the patron saint of Cornwall and Britain's first surfer! He lived and surfed until the ripe old age of 206."
Brewery: Skinners's
ABV: 4.5%

Rating: "St Piran's ale is a strong tasting, refreshing golden ale which is not too sweet. Styrian Golding hops are used to give a superb finish and distinct flowery aroma."

Game: The weather has gone from rubbish cloudy drizzle to amazing sunshine! So obviously it's time to fire up the console! This time we're giving Luigi's Mansion 2 a spin on my much sadly under-used 3DS. Played it for about an hour and almost rushed out to get a Wii U. Nintendo seriously know how to make great games and because of this I need to invest in their hardware and software.  Fortunately for my wallet the agoraphobia kicked in so I'm settling for just the 3DS at the moment. Rating: 9/10.