THE first pints of a local booze were brewed in Cinderford last week – over a thousand gallons of Freeminer ale were produced ready for the Christmas market.

It was all systems go at the new Whimsey brewery, opened by Don Burgess.

His Freeminer Brewery originally opened at Sling, near Coleford, eight years ago but the brewhouse suffered from a fire in a neighbouring unit earlier this year.

"We had outgrown the premises in any case," Mr Burgess told the Review during the brewing of the first batch of FreeminSA and several other countries.

With a degree in microbiology, Don is a consultant to micro-breweries around the country and a regular contributor to the small brewery trade press. Within the Forest of Dean he is a member of the "real food and drink" circle.

He is assisted in the brewing by Keith Hamilton and Andy Maskrey-Iveson. While the first Freeminer Bitter was being mashed at Cinderford, the last batch of Deepshaft Stout was fermenting at Sling in time for Christmas.

"It's our very popular winter warmer," he says.