Two cans of Brewdog Barnard Castle Eye Test beer, brewed by BrewDog, 2020

Available between the end of May 2020 and March 2021, BrewDog sold 648,768 of their Barnard Castle Eye Test Beer. The Hazy IPA takes its name from an event during the first national lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, beginning on 23 March 2020. Dominic Cumming then senior adviser to the Prime Minister, drove 264 miles to Durham with his family. It was revealed Cummings and his wife had symptoms of coronavirus when making the trip. They said they made the journey to ensure childcare arrangements. However, the lockdown rules stated that there were limited reasons for leaving home - buying food and medicine, exercising once a day, seeking medical attention and travelling to work if not able to work from home. It was later reported that the Cumming family made a 30 mile round trip to Barnard Castle while in Durham. In May 2020 at a press conference to explain his actions, Cummings said he drove to Barnard Castle to test his ability to drive, after experiencing loss of vision due to coronavirus.

BrewDog put the name of the beer to a public vote where choices included the winning name and Cummings and Goings, 260 miles, Stay At Homes. The can features a decreasing font size, inspired by eye test charts and a slight fuzziness to some of the text. All profits went to produce supplies of free hand sanitiser for the NHS and charities. A second beer Barnard Castle Ophthalmic Society was also launched, a Punk IPA crowler.