Coors Museum

In message , David Thornhill wrote

Why would anyone want to visit a museum featuring a poor quality foreign beer? If was museum was dedicated to the UKs brewing heritage it may be a different matter.

Almost certainly, but what has gnat's piss Coors to do with real ale anyway? Cask-conditioned Bass to be the next casualty, I wonder. I recently made my first, (and almost certainly last), visit to Burton Albion FC. Nothing other than fizz on offer, and this in a club representing a town which I had always been lead to believe was the beer capital of England! Offer the exhibits to the marvellous Burton Bridge brewery. Now THAT'S what I call beer!

What happenened to Bass Museum Ale ? Some of their brews were fantastic.

Anyone remember the Tetley Brewery museum near the Royal Armouries in Leeds?

It was a superb series of tableaux of the brewing industry from mediaeval times to the present day, involving audience participation and a lot of fun for adults and children alike.

At the end of each tableau, the parting words were always "it's the water that makes the beer"

No doubt Carlsberg considered such heresy to be a bit of a straightjacket - denying them the opportunity centralise beer production, and producing as many former brands as they wished under one roof.

The question is, was the mantra "it's the water that makes the beer" right? Judging by Youngs/Wells, Fullers/Gales and, going back a bit Robinsons/Hartley, I'd say it was.

But back to the topic in question, Coors do themselves a disservice by closing the museum. Museums attract families, amongst whom are the next generation of real ale drinkers. But , of course they don't care about that. The sooner everyone is drinking bland anodyne mass-produced excessively-hyped over-priced rubbish, the better.

I take it you've not actually been to the museum, then?

John Sullivan a écrit :

Worthington's Bitter or even Worthington White Shield, for example ?

Bass does not belong to Coors. InBev owns it.

In case you missed that episode :

- In 2000, Interbrew (now part of InBev) bought the brewing side of both Whitbread and Bass, giving it a theoretical UK market share of more than 30%

- in 2002, Interbrew was forced by UK competition authorities to sell off part of its UK interests, i.e. parts of the former Bass and Whitbread groups. That's when Coors stepped in. They bought a package including the former Bass site in Burton, BUT NOT the Bass brand itself, so they had to rename the Bass Museum. Why they renamed it Coors and not Worthington is mind-boggling. Cheers !

Laurent

Obviously...

Yet indeed, with "Coors" pasted on it instead of such a british household name as Bass (why not Worthington, or Ind Coope, or Allsopp, all linked to part of the huge site ?), you wouldn't expect it to be about UK brewing heritage.

I wonder if anyone locally, or maybe nationally from Camra, is considering buying this place out? I think it would do better in private hands, and if it were a charity thinking of buying it out, then it should attract grant funding.

Chris (speaking here as part of Pandora's Box Training, which provides support for charities)

I pondered this - not buying it myself I must add, but could it be a solution?

There is the question of the small brewery on site and I suspect the real estate value will be a significant sum. Without a few million from the lottery or somewhere, I cannot see it happening. But are many/any of the buildings listed? Could change the sums if you cannot do much with the site.

David

The last time that I visited Burton on Trent Beer Festival which is coming soon (I think)

there was a free or cut price token in the programme.

Enjoyed a free tour round the (then) Bass Museum.

Don't if any offers will be available this year.

Perhaps Burton CAMRA might reply.

So that means White Shield disappears a second time, then.

The Bass museum has been free entry for Camera members for quite some time.

So you need to be a photographer?

Roy.

LOL :)

Oh bog, I can't believe I did that.