Bass Brewers was a historic British brewing company whose development began in 1777 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was founded by William Bass after he sold his transport business and invested the proceeds in establishing a brewery. The company benefited from the mineral composition of Burton’s local water, which was particularly suited to the production of pale and highly hopped ales. The founder’s son, Michael Thomas Bass, built a second brewery in 1799 and expanded the business in partnership with John Ratcliff. Following the later involvement of John Gretton, the company became known as Bass, Ratcliff and Gretton. The arrival of the railway in Burton in 1839 facilitated distribution and supported the expansion of exports. By 1877, Bass had become the world’s largest brewery with an annual output of approximately one million barrels. Its best-known product was Bass Pale Ale, which was exported internationally and remained one of Britain’s leading ales for many years. The red triangle displayed on its label became the first trademark officially registered in the United Kingdom in 1876. During the 20th century, the company acquired several British breweries and merged with Charrington United Breweries in 1967. The resulting Bass Charrington group combined beer production with an extensive network of pubs and hospitality businesses. Its brewing operations were sold to Interbrew in 2000, while its hotels, restaurants, and pubs were separated into other companies. A regulatory ruling subsequently transferred some breweries and brands to Coors, while Interbrew, now Anheuser-Busch InBev, retained the rights to the Bass brand. Bass Brewers therefore no longer operates as an independent brewing company. The Bass brand remains part of the Anheuser-Busch InBev portfolio, while draught Bass for the British market is brewed under licence in Burton upon Trent at a facility operated by Carlsberg Britvic.