An experimental brewery near Shepton Mallet has unveiled a brand new beer - made from WASP yeast.

The Wild Beer Co say it took "years of research" to get the bizarre brew right.

It is releasing Ens, a wild ale made with apricots and wasps yeast, to mark the company's tenth birthday.

Wasps are proven to play a significant part in preserving wild yeast throughout the colder months and then helping to reintroduce it back into the wild when spring arrives.

The brewery revealed how they managed to harvest a wild yeast from an abandoned wasps nest discovered on a farm next to the brewery.

The brewery in Westcombe also conducted relevant research and discussions with entomologists.

The yeast was harvested over the last five months to create a 'sweet natural honey flavour'.

Russell Sykes, Lead Brewer, The Wild Beer Co, said: "Enso has been a long-term project of mine and is the culmination of five years of research and experimentation.

"Capturing yeast strains, which give a unique and pleasing character to the beer they ferment, will always need either luck or many attempts.

"But, through this project, I've been able to bring in-house the processes to isolate and trial new yeast strains and propagate these to the quantities required for commercial brewing.

"The door to an exciting microbial world full of new yeasts, and their flavours, is now open to us."

The company say the beer compliments their ethos - "Discovering Flavour by Nature".

They added: "'Ens means a circle that is hand-drawn in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create.'

"Also meant to represent the cyclic nature of life. That energy (in this case yeast), is not lost but passed on."

Wild Beer Co is known for its interesting an experiemental flavour combinations. Previous brews have included a beer made with lobster shells, and another with mushrooms.