Bass
Bass Pale Ale
The beer that made Burton pale ale a global category, and whose red triangle was the first trade mark registered in Britain.
- Strength
- 4.4–5.1% ABV
- Style
- English pale ale
- Brewery
- Bass
Also called Draught Bass, Bass.
Bass has closed. BeerHQ keeps this record because the beer remains historically important, not as a suggestion to go and buy it. Availability should be checked rather than assumed.
Bass is the beer that made Burton pale ale internationally famous, and its red triangle was the first registered trade mark in the United Kingdom. The high-sulphate Burton water gives it a dry, mineral finish that soft-water breweries cannot reproduce.
What is sold under the name today is a much-reduced presence compared with its nineteenth-century scale, and it has moved between brewing sites. It remains historically the single most important British pale ale.
What it tastes like
Inherited from English pale ale, because this beer sits within the normal range for it. BeerHQ’s comparative scale, not a measurement.
Why BeerHQ carries this beer
| Reason | Carried for its place in the history of beer |
|---|---|
| Strength | 4.4–5.1% ABV — checked 2026-08-16. Strengths differ by market and change without announcement, so this is dated rather than absolute. |
| Record stability | Volatile — production, strength or availability are actively changing. Treat specifics as needing verification. |
BeerHQ records no recipe, hop bill, malt bill, yeast strain, IBU or calorie figure for any commercial beer unless it is sourced. Nothing on this page is inferred from what the beer tastes like.
What is distinctive about it
- The red triangle is generally cited as the first mark registered under the UK Trade Marks Registration Act of 1875
- Appears in Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, an unusually well-documented cameo for a beer
It is not the same everywhere
Brewing arrangements, strength and availability have changed repeatedly since the Bass business was broken up in 2000. Treat any specific statement about the current product as needing re-checking.
If you like Bass Pale Ale
Worked out from what this beer actually tastes like rather than from what its style typically does. Three kinds of move, because “what should I try next” is three different questions.
Closest to it
Very similar in structure and flavour. Safe ground rather than discovery.
Strong bitter — try Timothy Taylor Landlord or Old Speckled Hen
A close structural match for Bass Pale Ale — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: slightly more caramel & toffee (low → moderate).
May not suit: Very close to Bass Pale Ale; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Best bitter — try Fuller's London Pride or Marston's Pedigree
A close structural match for Bass Pale Ale — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: slightly less carbonation (low → trace).
May not suit: Very close to Bass Pale Ale; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Ordinary bitter — try Greene King IPA or Adnams Southwold Bitter
A close structural match for Bass Pale Ale — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: slightly less carbonation (low → trace).
May not suit: Very close to Bass Pale Ale; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Similar, but different
Keeps what you probably like about it and changes one or two things. Usually the most useful answer.
Belgian pale ale — try Orval or Pauwel Kwak
Keeps most of what Bass Pale Ale does and shifts dryness.
Different: noticeably less dryness (moderate–high → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less dryness than Bass Pale Ale.
English IPA — try Thornbridge Jaipur or St Austell Proper Job
Keeps most of what Bass Pale Ale does and shifts bitterness.
Different: slightly more bitterness (moderate → high).
May not suit: Very close to Bass Pale Ale; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Irish red ale — try Smithwick’s Irish Red Ale
Keeps most of what Bass Pale Ale does and shifts herbal.
Different: noticeably less herbal (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less herbal than Bass Pale Ale.
A bigger jump
Genuinely different, but connected by something specific — the shared trait is named so you can judge whether the bridge holds.
Vienna lager — try Samuel Adams Boston Lager or Brooklyn Lager
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Bass Pale Ale.
Different: noticeably less herbal (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less herbal than Bass Pale Ale.
Altbier — try Uerige Altbier
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Bass Pale Ale.
Different: noticeably less herbal (moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less herbal than Bass Pale Ale.
California Common — try Anchor Steam Beer
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Bass Pale Ale.
Different: slightly more carbonation (low → moderate).
May not suit: Very close to Bass Pale Ale; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Likely fits rather than promises. Taste varies, and a recommendation engine that claims certainty is claiming something it cannot know.
What to eat with it
Inherited from English pale ale. BeerHQ does not duplicate pairings onto individual products unless the product genuinely differs from its style.
Keeping it
English pale ale shows best within 2–5 months of packaging. After that it declines in quality rather than becoming unsafe.
Drink fresh. Buy it as young as you can and drink it soon. What makes this beer worth drinking is the first thing to leave it.
Derived from English pale ale. See storage and freshness for the full model.
BeerHQ carries a small set of reference beers to anchor styles, not a catalogue. There is no rating here and there will not be one. Last reviewed 2026-08-16.