The Bass Brewery ( /ˈbæs/) was founded as a brewery in 1777 by William Bass in Burton upon Trent, England. The main brand was Bass Pale Ale, which was once the highest selling beer in the UK. The company became one of the main breweries in the UK, and Bass Pale Ale was exported throughout the British Empire, the distinctive red triangle becoming the UK's first registered trademark.
The company took control of a number of other large breweries in the early 20th century, and in the 1960s merged with Charrington United Breweries to become the largest UK brewing company, Bass Charrington. The brewing operations of the company were bought by Interbrew (now Anheuser-Busch InBev) in 2000, while the retail side (hotel and pub holdings) were renamed Six Continents plc. The UK government's Competition Commission was concerned about the monopoly implications arising from the deal, and instructed Interbrew to dispose of the brewery and certain brands (the Carling and Worthington brands) to Coors (now Molson Coors Brewing Company), but allowed Interbrew to retain the rights to the Bass Pale Ale brand. In 2010, it was widely reported that AB-InBev are attempting to sell the rights to the Bass brand in the UK for around £10-15 million.
Draught Bass (4.4% ABV) has been brewed under contract in Burton by Marston's for AB-InBev since 2005. Bottled and keg versions (5.1% ABV) are brewed at AB-InBev's own brewery in Samlesbury for export. Bass Ale is a top ten premium canned ale in the UK, with 16,080 hectolitres sold in 2010.
Read more about Bass Brewery: History, Separation of Brewery and Beer, Marketing
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