As well as the Marston’s one, there’s also the Tennent’s-brewed Bass that’s still popular in Northern Ireland. Because in a market where provenance, tradition and heritage are some of the key drivers, who gives toss where an iconic beer is brewed, am I right?

There is comfort in this sense of history, and it is a position that few products achieve: hard-earned over a period of decades.Yes, you may beg to differ; and of course, the beauty of taste is how idiosyncratic and individual it is, but sorry, over this there can be no doubt.

It’ll be weird and confusing to have bottles of the new one sitting beside cans of the old one in the supermarket. We recommend that you do not rely solely on the information presented here and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before using or consuming a product. It is not however a wistful or nostalgic piece about great times gone by (certainly, it is not intended to be) – but it is a tail of a tragedy. Even Adnams’ and Fuller’s don’t always get it right — Frontier Craft Lager is a shameless and slightly cringe-inducing attempt to ape something like Camden Hells — but, yes, dignity is probably the word. I can certainly sympathize with a company’s need to save their brand from just sitting there and withering away.I drank Newcastle for years then they started to brew it in the USA and tasted very different, it’s not even drinkable.

Never mind Marstons, who else has noticed that Black Sheep has now been launched “Black Sheep IPA” with a snazzy new bottle? The difference between Southwold Bitter, London Pride and Pedigree isn’t that huge, the key distinction is that for Adnams and Fullers, those are two of their lowest quality beers, whereas for Marstons, Pedigree is pretty much as good as it gets. There are only two possibilities here: either AB-InBev haven’t even been bothered to read about the history of the brand they’re relaunching, or they are knowingly lying. William Bass was a local brewer, but successive generations expanded the brewery riding on the coat tails of the rise of the empire in India and coinciding with leaps forward in brewing science and chemical understanding.Finally, Adnams and Fullers both have instantly recognisable branding both on bottles and pump clips – I didn’t know until now that the same brewery made Pedigree, Old Empire and Oyster Stout. And I do agree with my brother, who thinks it’s a bit ‘barnyardy’, a bit rustic, compared in his mind with the Daddy. To today, where it feels like Pale Ale is truly fighting back; is challenging the hegemony of international ‘lager’. Bass though, whilst also enjoying the Burton character, had better balance, a touch of sophistication.