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The manly world of real ale has a new flavour to savour - the worlds first beer brewed with hibiscus flowers.

Entrepreneur Brent Smith is taking on the biggest of British breweries after launching the world's first beer made from the exotic blooms.

Brent concocted the bizarre brew after setting up his own state-of-the-art micro-brewery in a converted grain barn in the Dorset countryside.

The 47-year-old was inspired by a holiday to Spain as a teenager during which he tasted hibiscus tea for the first time.

So when he launched his Sunny Republic brewery turning the earthy-tasting tropical flower into a mouthwatering beer was top of his list.

Brent introduces dried hibiscus petals into the brewing process at the same stage as the hops, then adds fermented pressed petals to the beer once maturing in tanks.

The beer, called Huna Red in a nod to its dark red colour, is now among the best sellers at the brewery in rural village of Winterborne Kingston, which churns out up to 30,000 pints a week.

It is thought Sunny Republic is the only brewery in the world using hibiscus in the brewing process.

Historically, hibiscus has been used in folk medicine as a diuretic and laxative as well as a treatment for cardiac and nerve diseases and cancer.

The petals are used to make tea around the world.