Some of my fellow beer bloggers have got together to organise a beer swap. The idea is simple. I had to choose four beers from this area that are of good quality and that would appeal to a blogger from another area.

The organiser then gave me the name and address of another blogger to whom I am going to send the beer to. In return a separate beer blogger should be sending me four beers from their area.

So the big question for me was, what beers to pick? Here is what I came up with...

Ringwood Forty-Niner (4.9% ABV) from Marston’s Brewery, Ringwood. ringwoodbrewery.co.uk

Now this has to be the most famous real ale of our area. You ask someone to name a local real ale and I bet most will say Forty-Niner, or at least mention the Ringwood Brewery.

Did wonder though how well know is it around the country, after all Marston’s is regarded as a National Brewery.

I hope that the person who receives the beer doesn’t know this one well and I’m introducing them to it. That is also part of the plan. It’s an opportunity for us to try beers we don’t normally drink.

I’m sure that Forty-Niner will go down well. It's well balanced, fruity and biscuit taste with its bittersweet finish is a classic. Highly regarded.

Dorset Gold (4.5% ABV) from Palmers, Bridport palmersbrewery.com

Described on the bottle as a Golden Premium Ale but I think it’s a bit more complex than that. It’s slight banana and mango fruity aroma and taste sets it apart from other Golden Ale’s.

It offers something different to the other beers I have selected. 5p from each bottles is donated to The Chesil Trust, who help the young or disabled to enjoy the joys of sailing.

Swagger (4.6% ABV) from Oakleaf Brewery, Gosport oakleafbrewing.co.uk

Another charity ale, which I have mentioned before in my blogg, with a donation of 10p from each bottle to the Servicemen’s Wifes and Girlfriends Charity Calendar Appeal for the Help for Heroes campaign.

Some of the shots for the calendar were taken in our very own Bournemouth Aviation Museum. Pleasant tasting beer which should go down well.

Silent Knight (5.9% ABV) from Dorset Brewing Company, Weymouth dbcales.co.uk

Again different from the others as this is a wheat beer, In 1997 it was Champion Wheat Beer of the United Kingdom . Fermented using the breweries own strain of yeast.

Described by Michael Jackson, (the top beer writer - not the singer) as Big, Bold, Dark and undercut with all the hallmarks of wheat, it’s more of a winter beer but with the cold weather we are having at the moment, it does feel more like winter than summer to me.

All the beers were bought at Bitter Virtue, an excellent beer shop in Alma Road, Southampton, not far from the city centre.

So those are my choices, but would you have chosen them? What beers do you think represent our area? Remember we are talking bottled beer here.

Finally, Badger Ales are looking to produce a cook book with recipes made with Badger Ales. If you have any then contact badgerale@chef.net for more details.