Almost exactly a year ago, as I’m sure you’ll remember, I went walking in the Lakes with James during that odd period between July and October when we experienced freedom before November saw it snatched away.
On that trip I managed a few GBG pubs in the foothills of Scafell, including Boot and Eskdale Green, but left a handful in Wasdale tantalisingly unticked.
The Lakes seemed quieter than in 2020, the crowds of summer long gone, and Mrs RM didn’t have to screech to a halt to inch past motorhomes much before we reached the eponymous pub at Santon Bridge. Or perhaps the eponymous Santon Bridge, who knows.
Night Vision ? Ugh ! Is that what used to be Bitter ? Makes you grateful for the pubs we enjoyed in Stockport last Friday where you can still enjoy Holt Bitter (if not Mild), Sam Smiths Old Original Bitter, and of course Torrside’s “…And You Will Know The Beer Is Craft By The Length Of Its Name“.
Actually I care less about the renaming than the constant mucking about with the pump clips, and no rebranding will persuade the London Youth and Petersfield Pashminas to switch from Prosecco or Peroni to pale beers, so this was the dullest beer of a decent trip beer quality wise (average NBSS 3.1).
The Sunday Times Supplement presumably reckons it’s cos., with its polite soundtrack of the Mac and Bowie and a well-chosen collection of wines.
Mrs RM normally insists on something that pretends to be healthy for tea, but being famished opted for the “Nacho’s with Chilli Beef” and some squid.
Somehow, the nachos were soggy, as if they’d been incinerated at the same time as the cheese and chilli.
A hugely disappointing pile of glop, and not cheap either. But tourist pubs, eh ?
retiredmartin 
That Torrside beer name does show a nice self-deprecatory sense of humour 😉
Won’t the cheese make the nachos soggy anyway? I suspect as you suggest that the whole thing was cooked together as a one-pot meal.
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I drank a pint of Night Vision a few months back. It was a very poor pastiche of Jenning’s Bitter as I remember it. Marston’s have no interest in the brewery. It just ticks the box of localism.
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I dunno, I think lack of volume is the thing. 15 years ago it would just have been Best and Cumberland on the bar and a quarter of all sales would have been cask; now I guess it’s less than 10%. That’s a huge increase in how quickly it takes to turnover a barrel of beer. I quite rate the Marston beers made in Wolves in busier pubs.
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Hi Martin, it’s Mark Crilley posting as an anonymous visitor— my phone is the only way I can access your blog now, and it’s not allowing me to log in, which I think is rather unkind of my phone to do, but we have an acrimonious relationship it must be said.
My heart went out to you, seeing those nachos, especially if they weren’t cheap! I mean, when you have the grand opportunity of ordering something unhealthy it’s a real tragedy if it doesn’t have the common decency to be delicious. 😉
Had a good chuckle at your line “we shall know they’re craft beers by the length of their names!”
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But your name is at the top Mark ! That’s the worst attempt at anonymity I’ve seen !!
Yes, if you fancy something bad you expect it to be good !
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Ah it had me log in at the very end; all part of the software’s plan to make me look like a fool (or rather, to reveal me for the fool that I am!)
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You’re no fool ;-0
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Night Vision must be about the worst rebranding of an ordinary cooking beer, even worse than Marston’s Saddle Tank.
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Or 61 Deep!
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