During April and June, McMullen customers were asked to suggest names for the 4.4% abv beer. It is now available in pubs across the company’s 134-strong estate and is selling strongly.
The winning entry came from Steve Wyatt, of Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire, who spotted the competition whilst drinking a pint of McMullen’s AK ale at the White Horse, Burnham Green, Hertfordshire.
Wyatt won a cash prize of £500, a tour of McMullen’s Whole Hop Brewery in Hertford and a 20 litre boxed set of beer. He was also presented with a winner’s trophy by McMullen’s production and sales director Fergus McMullen. The five runners-up each won £100.
Wyatt said: “I’m a great lover of AK and real ale, so it was wonderful to win and go in to help with the brewing of Augustus Macsimus. I used to think about going into small-scale commercial brewing, and I found it very interesting asking lots of technical questions and finding out how it was done. McMullen certainly gave me a most generous prize.”
McMullen added: “Our customers are obviously very interested in the beers we brew at the Whole Hop Brewery, and the chance to name one appealed enormously to many of them. Steve has come up with a great name, which we are very happy to put on this excellent seasonal ale.”
