March 2026. Burton-on-Trent.
Never blog after six twelve glasses of Kolsch. Never mind, it’s nearly all pictures from the home of Bass, I’ll leave the prosaic descriptions and history to others.
I guess Bass in the Coopers is as iconic as Paffgen in Lommies, but I hadn’t been for nearly a decade till Friday.
Less than an hour from Sheffield station to alleyway entrance, what’s kept me ?
Opening times are a lot tighter than I remember, Friday is the first day it’s open at noon.
It’s a joy, and a slight disappointment, to have it almost to myself.
But the welcome from the new landlady (“Alright chuck“) is as warm as the pub.
I think I only ever went in the Coopers before when it was too packed to appreciate,
and often ended up taking pints of Bass to the curry houses.
The flat Bass here isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it suits me. Cool, subtle, NBSS 4.
Only the Bath Star does it better.
I almost stayed for a Joules, as instructed below,
but this was a Bass Day.
retiredmartin 
“March 2026. Burton-on-Trent.”
(looks up)
If that’s the one I think it is (and my mind’s not playing tricks) it’s supposed to be an absolute gem.
“Never blog after six twelve glasses of Kolsch.”
See, this is why I don’t blog. 😉
“but I hadn’t been for nearly a decade till Friday.”
Blimey!
“Less than an hour from Sheffield station to alleyway entrance, what’s kept me ?”
Don’t know about the first six or seven out of the last decade, but the last 3 or so have kept you rather occupied.
“It’s a joy, and a slight disappointment, to have it almost to myself.”
Ouch! Agreed.
“I think I only ever went in the Coopers before when it was too packed to appreciate,”
I can understand that, when you think about it.
“The flat Bass here isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it suits me. ”
A bit like the curry houses and Chinese takeaways? 😎
“Only the Bath Star does it better.”
My darling wife in the bath is the star of my morning. 🥰
“I almost stayed for a Joules, as instructed below,”
(looks down)
Personally, I couldn’t bear it. 😁
“but this was a Bass Day.”
Fair enough.
Cheers
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Yes, it is a gem !
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We have only ever sat in the small back room with the casks! Always lively back there.
Dick
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Did you have curry there ? Not as good as Bradford but fun.
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That pint of Bass looks really good.
Pouring it from the barrel, or a jug if buying four pints in the Star, helps make the glass very photogenic. The tight heads we get in Yorkshire often leave the glass with bits of foam sticking to the side, which does not photograph so well
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That wasn’t a problem when Bass was invented, was it ?
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Fond memories of the 2020, Proper Day Out, the last one before the start of the first lockdown. Both Mudgies were there, along with several other characters whose names escapes me. I remember you had to cry off Martin, due to illness.
Currently looking out over a 🥶 cold and rath wet, Tromso, before venturing out, once the pubs and bars open.
Still no luck with Blogger, but plenty to post about when I return to the UK.
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Yes Paul, and with a rare appearance of Life After Football.
The pub is sadly marred by wall clutter but it’s still good Bass there.
March is proving very busy for me ( eight nights away for using pubs ) but hopefully my bus pass will get me to Burton again next month.
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Paul, that was my first meeting with LAF, and from memory he turned up at the Roebuck.
I had dash off soon afterwards to catch my train, but didn’t you have a Julie Felix concert that evening?
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Yes Paul, LAF turned up at the Roebuck. And yes, Julie Felix was on at the Marstons’s brewery tap, the Albion. Her death later that month meant it was the last of many times I saw her.
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Some folk like that Joules clutter, but I know what you mean, Paul.
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Yes Martin and at least it’s quieter than a TV screen showing sport.
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This sent me on a small investigative journey … “The red triangle logo for Bass Brewery was adopted in the 1850s as a simple, bold, and instantly recognisable symbol to mark barrels of Pale Ale, ensuring quality identification at a time of varying literacy levels.”
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Yes Lana, and the world’s first registered trade mark.
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Interesting!
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Is there a pub with better livery than the Coopers….I’ll wait?
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I’ve looked….no.
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👏👏👏
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