A beer aficionado who writes about a Dorchester brew and collects its bottles has attracted thousands of hits on his website.

Stephen Hannigan is raising a glass to the news that Thomas Hardy’s Ale will be revived this year by an Italian firm.

The story began in 1967 when the head brewer at the now defunct Eldridge Pope brewery in Dorchester, Denis Holliday, decided to brew a strong ale to commemorate the author. It was manufactured until 1999.

Quantity surveyor Stephen, 58, lives in the Wirral and regularly travels to Dorset to collect Thomas Hardy’s Ale mementoes.

He said: “I’ve gone down a few times to Dorset doing various trips trying to wheedle out certain bottles.

“I bought a huge collection of it quite recently which I paid hundreds of pounds for.

“It’s a funny thing, the currency of beer!”

In his novel The Trumpet Major, Hardy wrote of Dorchester strong beer: “It was of the most beautiful colour that the eye of an artist in beer could desire; full in body, yet brisk as a volcano; piquant, yet without a twang; luminous as an autumn sunset; free from streakiness of taste, but, finally, rather heady.”

Matured in oak sherry casks, matured for nine months and ending up a hefty 11.7 per cent in strength, it was unveiled the next year in three sizes.

The pints and half pints had retro parchment labels, velvet neck collars and were sealed with corks surrounded by wax and all bottles were individually numbered. Such is Stephen’s love of the beer named after Dorset’s most famous son he created a website dedicated to it.

It has attracted more than 30,000 clicks, with visitors from all over the world asking questions about how much unopened bottles are worth and commenting that they will celebrate their birthday with a bottle of Hardy vintage.

The beer was initially intended as a one-off celebration of the writer, but Thomas Hardy’s ale re-appeared in 1974 and 1975 and then each year from 1977.

The robust ale gained a loyal following but sales were rarely high.

Perhaps the instruction ‘Do not drink for five years’ on the early labels put drinkers off!

What it did mean was many bottles were put away in cupboards for a future celebration that didn’t materialise and are still being unearthed to this day.

Stephen, who has a personal collection of more than 150 bottles of Hardy’s Ale, said: “I always knew there was a great interest in it. It has always been the Americans who have been the most interested. It has been known to go for some ridiculous prices online.

“I’ve been a real ale drinker for many years. I remember first buying Hardy’s Ale in the late ’80s. It doesn’t really taste like a beer, it’s more like a vintage port.

“I like to drink it once a month. It’s a bit indulgent but it’s nice to have with a nice piece of cheese.”

Sales of the beer eventually declined and only demand from US where it has gained cult status kept it afloat.

The Eldridge Pope Brewery was subject of a management buy-out in 1997 and following the release of the 1999 vintage it was announced that production of Hardy’s Ale was to cease.

And now the much-missed beer is making a comeback.

Interbrau of Italy is currently looking for a suitable brewery in which to make the ale.

Stephen said: “A preview edition has been distributed to beer writers and others in the industry.

“From what I’ve seen so far the new Hardy’s Ale is rather beautiful with a wax collar.

“It’s a reproduction of the original bottle.”

The first attempt to revive the beer was 10 years ago in Devon, Stephen said.

“They gave up after five years because it was too expensive.

“It was thought that this really was the end for the ale but the rumours about it resurfacing are true.”

Stephen is keen to hear from anyone who has any interesting stories and memories of Thomas Hardy’s Ale for his website.

Stephen’s site can be found at thomashardysale.org.uk.

He can be emailed at mail@thomas hardysale.org.uk