No, I had no involvement in the creation of this book, other than to taste the wonderful cider that Richard Hood and Nick Moyle made in their guise as Two Thirsty Gardeners.

However, I wanted to give this book a shout out here in the inspiration section because, well, it is an inspiration. They’ve turned something they love doing – growing things and brewing up alcohol – it into an exciting venture. It has become a true and authentic local brand, so I bought a copy of their book and went along to help them pound some apples down to a pulp recently. The resulting juice could be good for next year’s batch of cider… Mmm.

Brew It Yourself is just one manifestation of their skills, and inside you’ll find advice on all the preparation required, as well as recipes for wine, mead, cider, various beers, sparkling drinks, liqueurs and cocktails. They are rather liberal with their encouragement to improvise, but I think I’ll follow their basic cider recipe next autumn and perhaps they’ll let me borrow their press. Did you know that you can make wine from parsnips, and oak leaves as well. And beer made from nettles – that’s bound to leave you feeling sore the next day!

Anyhow, the book’s expertly written, and the design and photography is delightful. If you like what you see, swing by their website.