Why is the Bass Triangle red?

I went to the Constitutional Club in Burton upon Trent recently; it sits literally a stone’s throw along High Street from Bass House and was founded by monies from Lord Burton. It proudly serves one beer on draught, what else but Bass? Newly acquired Bass drip mats are on every table, the club printed them up themselves as they can’t get hold of the official versions. Now let that sink in for a minute, Bass is the tenth best selling cask ale in the country and the brewery do not produce drip mats! There are also no posters, adverts in the press, pump clips are hard to come by, the only item a publican can get hold of are pint glasses. There’s something wrong here.

Generally, I try to keep a cordial relationship with breweries, but I have given up with AB InBev who own Bass as I have never come across such apathy towards a brand. It’s not like its just any brand either, it is Bass for goodness sake! The Red Triangle! It is the most recognisable Trademark in the world! The label for Bass Pale Ale was trademark number one (the Red Triangle itself was number 913)! Bass was once the greatest brewer in the world and AB InBev really couldn’t give a toss. There’s something really wrong here.

Marston’s, once arch rivals of Bass have brewed the beer under contract since 2005 at their Albion Brewery on Shobnall Road; Lord Burton would have wept. Marston’s do an excellent job too; it has that malty nuttiness that I remember from when I first drank it in the late 1980’s. It’s not “Bass” Bass but it is Bass and a damn fine drink too. Many argue that it is better than Pedigree and they are right.

There’s another form of Bass, an imposter in a Bass bottle. It is brewed at the Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I Brewery at Salmesbury (aka Shamelessbury), Preston and pales (pun intended) in comparison to the Marston’s brew. The only time I’ve had it in the last ten years was on the cancelled 2020 National Bass Day when there was no Draught Bass in the world to be had. There’s something really really wrong here.

So today is the first National Bass Day, not a bright idea from the AB InBev Marketing Department, but of one man, a Burtonian now living Bakewell way called Ian Thurman and it’s developed a life of its own. Think about it, tenth best selling cask ale in the country and it is being promoted by a passionate amateur, one who gets no support from the owners? I’d be embarrassed, no wonder the triangle is red, it is blushing.

Hang your head in shame AB InBev. If you don’t want the brand, sell it.

I originally wrote this at speed a few weeks back, apart from the odd tweak here and there and the removal of a “fucking”, I stand by what I wrote, so here it is.