A WORCESTER man was among the winners to name a commemorative beer as the annual Land of Hops and Glory sportive wound its way through the Herefordshire countryside.
Steve Dent, alongside Elizabeth Harvey from Ledbury, suggested the winning name ‘Slipstream Savvy’ for the a 4.4 per cent pale ale brewed to mark the sportive after a competition on social media.
A record-breaking number of 250 cyclists saddled up as Wye Valley Brewery held their annual event and celebrated success with the launch of their new ale.
Slipstream Savvy, which is brewed using experimental hops gathered from Herefordshire’s finest hop yards across the cycling route, is available to buy online and in the Wye Valley Brewery store.
Vernon Amor, managing director of Wye Valley Brewery, said: ‘We always enjoy hosting the Land of Hops and Glory Sportive and this year was the best yet.
“The weather held and it was a delight to see so many people enjoying a complimentary bottle of our limited-edition beer Slipstream Savvy with the post-event barbecue at our Stoke Lacy headquarters.
“I’d like to thank the team who work so hard to make this event the success it is each year and congratulate everyone who took part, you did Wye Valley Brewery proud,” he added.
Toby Fellows, one of the event’s organisers and owner of Let’s Go Velo, said: “The Land of Hops and Glory sportive is always a fantastic way to event kick-start the cycling season and this year didn’t disappoint – it was the biggest one yet.
“We would like to thank Wye Valley Brewery for opening their doors to host the event and providing a range of their delicious beers, including HPA, Hopfather and 1985 for us all to enjoy in the afternoon sunshine once the ride was over,” he said.
Participants of the event had two routes to choose from, the ‘Full Pint’ at 56.8 miles and the ‘Half Pint’ at 37 miles.
After tracking the route of the River Wye, riders skirted the Much Marcle Ridge then headed towards the Malvern Hills before returning to the brewery.
