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Food

This Watercress-Infused Beer Claims to Boost Sex Drive

Brewed by Dorset-based Cerne Abbas Brewery, the ale is apparently “very fruity with a peppery kick.”
Photo via Twitter/Cerne Abbas Brewery.

There are plenty of foods out there with alleged aphrodisiac qualities. Old wives' tales recommend oysters and strawberries for those looking to get lucky, while Goop-obsessed Gwynnie-wannabes slurp chia seeds. And you only have to scratch the surface of the Internet to find Viagra infused into everything from instant coffee and ice cream.

Now, a brewery in Dorset claims to have produced a beer that can boost sex drive. The secret ingredient, however, is something you'd be more likely find in a salad. Brewed by Cerne Abbas Brewery, the ale is made with local watercress, which its growers claim increases fertility and virility.

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The Watercress Warrior Pilsner has been produced by the brewery in collaboration with The Watercress Company, also based in Dorset. The beer is made with hops, watercress seeds, and spring water from the watercress farm, and has an alcohol content of 4.5 percent. So far, the brewery has released 1,800 bottles of the beer and it is being sold at local pubs and shops.

According to local newspaper the Dorset Echo, the beer was inspired by a local ancient landmark, the Cerne Giant—a 180-foot tall figure of a naked man with an erection, chalked into the hillside. The National Trust website describes the Cerne Giant in the, er, Area of Outstanding Beauty, as an ancient symbol which "local folklore has long held [as] an aid to fertility."

Photo via Flickr user martin cruze

James Harper, manager at The Watercress Company, told the newspaper: "Cerne Abbas is one of the first places watercress was grown and also the location of a brilliant brewery, which we were very keen to work with. There is also, of course, the famous giant, who is supposedly an ancient symbol of fertility. We thought he was the perfect face of our brew."

Harper added: "Watercress is a fabulous health food packed full of vitamins and nutrients that help boost fertility. The ale itself is delicious, it's very fruity with a peppery kick."

MUNCHIES reached out to The Watercress Company to find out how watercress provides a peppery kick—in more ways than one—but did not hear back at the time of publishing.

If you're not in Dorset but want to give The Watercress Warrior a test run, just pop down to Tesco and pick up some salad. Lunchtime could get a lot more interesting.