Brewdog launch 'Barnard Castle eye test' IPA 'for tall tales' amid Cummings row

A famous brewery has had a dig at under-fire government aide Dominic Cummings - by naming a new beer after his lockdown-breaking exploits.

BrewDog, which runs a chain of pubs around the UK, had asked fans to help it name a new beer.

Today it unveiled the BrewDog Barnard Castle Eye Test IPA was revealed as the winning option on Wednesday.

It described the drink as a "short sighted beer for tall stories".

The company had said that "inspired by recent events, we’re thinking of making a new BrewDog beer" and added: "But what should we call it?"

It was accompanied by four cans with different names - Cummings and Goings; 260 Miles; Stay St Homes and - the one which sparked the most approving comments - Barnard Castle Eye Test, Chronicle Live reports.

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Within hours the BrewDog post had attracted almost 6,000 likes and 1,700 comments from followers, many of them offering up name suggestions of their own.

The names referenced Boris Johnson's right hand man's now infamous drive to Barnard Castle in County Durham during lockdown.

All profits will go to funding the production of free sanitiser for the NHS & health care charities.

Among the comments was a suggestion that the new beer should be called Reasonable and Legal - while another offered up 15 name ideas including Double Vision, Double Standards; Front Page Brews, Special Advisor and Geordie Jaunt.

One fan wrote: "Barnard Castle Eye Test is a BLINDING name for a beer (pun actually unintended, believe it or not)" while one wrote: "Gotta be 260 Miles. A weaker ABV and only for the English market. A 500 Miles version with a much higher ABV available in Scotland."

The most popular name choice of BrewDog's four was Barnard Castle Eye Test, with Eddie John Carter saying: "I know this might be a joke, but the Barnard Castle Eye Test has to be the winner."

And Ian Mitchell wrote: " I look forward to ordering a round of eye tests at the earliest opportunity, but any of your options available soon will go down well for a refreshing drink by the riverside, or in the woods, over the next phase of lockdown easing."

Not everyone saw the funny side however, with some suggesting that BrewDog should stay away from politics.

Among them was Oliver Kemp who wrote: "How about sticking to brewing beer and keep out of politics!" and Alan McFarlane who said: "Please don’t. I love your beer and companies only make fools of themselves when they dabble in politics."

Dominic Cummings gave a press conference on Monday explaining his thought-processes behind driving his family from London to Durham during lockdown and his further trip to Barnard Castle, saying that he believed he acted "reasonably" and within the law.

However the dispute continues to rumble on.