Marston's
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The brewer Marston, Thompson and Evershed plc is known familiarly as Marston's after its founder, John Marston. He founded the Brewery in 1834, and it moved to its present site in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England after merging with Thompson's in 1898.
John Marston's Brewery makes use of water from the famous Burton Well, reputedly discovered by Benedictine Monks in the thirteenth century.
In 1999, Marston's was acquired by Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries PLC. Burton's other brewers today include Coors, Tower, Old Cottage and Burton Bridge Brewery. The Marston brewery will take over production of Draught Bass from Coors in 2005.
Marston's is also the only remaining brewer to use Burton Union Sets; a system whereby fermentation barrels and troughs are linked together by a complex system of copper and brass pipework. The basic principle is one of preventing excessive beer and yeast loss through foaming, but the consequence is that the beer is both in contact with more wood and in contact with more beer (fermenting in a bigger volume). This results in a vastly more consistent flavour; and very little chance of a whole batch being ruined.
All other large-scale brewers have abandoned this method in favour of stainless steel vats, which while they assure (through volume) a consistent flavour, do not permit the use of traditional yeast varieties.
Marston's flagship beer is Pedigree, a bitter (or pale ale to enthusiasts and pedants). Typically Marston's uses the standard combination of Maris Otter barley and Fuggles and Goldings hops.
Marston's brewery is open to visitors.
External links
- Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries website (http://www.fullpint.co.uk/)
- Consumer ratings for Marston's output (http://www.ratebeer.com/Brewers/Brewing-Company-56.htm)