OVER the years I have spent some considerable time perusing the names of the beer on sale at my local and displayed at off-licences and supermarkets.

Some are really daft, while others prove a perfect name for the brew inside the bottle.

The multitude of names is certainly intriguing and lead me to question who thought of them and the tale behind each one, because most do have a fascinating story which not only signifies the type of beer it is, but the brewery’s history too.

I began to take beer labels seriously when I discovered that pubs such as the Turf Tavern, Oxford, have brews created especially for them and breweries such as West Berkshire will print personalised labels for you which they will fix on a bottled beer of your choice.

All you have to do is choose one of their beers and submit a photo along with a suggested name — they will then design a label and a jolly party is assured.

In my case, I thought it would be fun to serve a special beer at one of my “Paws” book launches. The brewery went along with that idea, they even allowed me to design a label that renamed the brewery Barkshire rather than Berkshire because of its link with a dog. I called it Pythius Peacocke’s Tipple — it proved a great success.

Claire and Jim Alexander, owners of the award-winning Cotswold pub The Ebrington Arms, near Chipping Campden, and The Killingworth Castle, at Wootton, near Woodstock, have just fulfilled a lifelong ambition by brewing their own beer with the help of a local expert food scientist Dr Julian South.

Jim, who is also a Camra member, had a clear idea of how the beer should taste, somewhere between his favourite pint, London Pride, and Flowers, which was once very popular but hasn’t been brewed for some time.

With a desire to use British ingredients in the recipe, just as the couple’s kitchen does with its food menu, Claire and Jim decided on British malts and hops as the ideal formula.

The result is a copper ale with a gloriously floral nose and bitter finish (3.8% ABV) which they have named Yubby after the old village name Yubberton, which is where you will find the Ebrington Arms.

Jim said: “We are going back to how it used to be when pubs brewed their own beer. Lots are doing it already, but I knew exactly what taste I was after, so we’ve come up with a very traditional English bitter. To be honest it is a bit of a dream come true.”

The couple introduced Yubby to their Wootton customers last month when they held a party to celebrate the completion of their beer garden. The response to their beer, which I found particularly crisp and refreshing, was positive.

Claire remarked that Yubby bitter is only available at their pubs. She’s aware that pubs can’t compete with cheap supermarket alcohol, so they have to offer more — a special taste experience with a good atmosphere and a unique beer is one way of doing this.

The award-winning Vale Brewery, at Brill, has come up with a fun way of naming this year’s special autumn brew.

Because the brewery is so close to the bustling market town of Thame, it invited the public to come up with a name that will link with the brew it is launching in conjunction with the Thame Food Festival which takes place on Saturday, September 28.

As well as being the Vale’s special beer for September, it will be on tap at many local pubs across the region and available to drink at the festival too.

Vale Brewery’s general manager Ian Mackey says every month they produce a beer with its own unique style and name which goes down well with the local pubs.

Ian and his team are already working on ideas for the festival beer, which is going to be a 4.1% ABV mid-strength seasonal bitter, tawny in colour, with a harvest feel to it.

He sees the winning name will reflect that, along with its link with the Thame Food Festival. The beer will be unveiled at the brewery on Saturday, September 7, when the winner will get to pour the first pint.

Frazer Sutherland, who manages both The Thatch and The James Figg in Thame, says that this is a brilliant way of celebrating local brewers and beers.

“You can’t get more local than this. Vale is just down the road from here, people from the area know and enjoy Vale beers with their unusual names such as Wychert Ale, Grampling and Gravitas, which are all well trusted and liked round here, as evidenced by the number of pints we sell.”

Ian added that all entries to the naming competition will be posted at facebook.com/Thamefoodfestival