THE TRADITIONAL SHARING OF A JUG OF BASS IN THE BATH STAR

August 2026. Bath.

I arrived back at Isambard’s (quite  good) statue with 5 minutes to spare, and half an hour later was clambering the Paragon steps on the edge of central Bath.

You must know this one.

A symphony in brown dark red,

where Stafford Paul awaited with the sacred jug of flat Bass.

I’d put my Bath Star t-shirt on before entering the room, some traditions must be observed, and sipped.

Yes, soft as ever, completely different from the tight or floppy headed Bass of the Midlands, never mind the bankers of Stockton. If you’ve never had Bass from the jug you’ve never had Bass.

Just to prove I’m always honest about beer quality, I’m scoring it a 4 instead of a 5 this time.

If you need a head, you’ll get it when your jug is refilled (only 3 pints, we’re not completely mad).

Jon, who’d be leading us on the “curated pub exploration” (ugh) of Frome the next day, joined us for a discussion of tactics for herding a pack of pubgoers around town.

One of these days I’ll come in the Star, sit on that bench, and drink Bellringer, the actual house beer.

But not any day soon.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

11 thoughts on “THE TRADITIONAL SHARING OF A JUG OF BASS IN THE BATH STAR”

  1. The Bass on stillage at the Chequers, Stanton-by-Dale, looked like that in the 1970s. The then landlord often had a dimpled half-pint pot swinging from his little finger, which he regularly refilled from the barrel.

    He also regularly emptied it.

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  6. Such a shame I didn’t bump into you there as I visit frequently and I could do with a break from our Georgian house renovation which is now well into the it’s going to take twice as long as we thought and we haven’t had a holiday this year yet stage.
    My old Dad’s chair is in the small snug room – it didn’t really work in our house but fits perfectly among the old junk in the Star.
    The Bass is a bit tricky in this hot weather and I have to say some pints haven’t been top notch. The hot pork scratchings machine is still out of action too.
    But the place really comes into its own in winter with the fires and no music.

    Prof.

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    1. I wouldn’t call anything in the Star junk, Prof !

      I’m sure I’ll be back in Bath soon enough. Do you drink it from the jug ? I thought it was a decent temperature, just not quite as magical as a few years back, but that’s a high level.

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      1. They generally have a jug on the go the whole time when it’s busy and will offer the choice.
        But like anywhere I suppose it’s a bugger to keep cool in the hot weather when the barrel is behind the bar.

        Prof

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  7. Especially appropriate in such a historic pub, four pint jugs are a reminder of more civilised times, even before my time, when a quart was the standard measure of ale across the land.
    What a shame that we missed PPT.

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