Stones Bitter
Type | Beer |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Molson Coors |
Distributor | Molson Coors |
Country of origin | Sheffield, England |
Introduced | 1948 |
Alcohol by volume | 3.7% |
Colour | straw/golden |
Stones Bitter is a
The brewing giant
Stones was promoted through a series of television advertisements in the 1980s that starred
History
The head brewer Edward "Ted" Collins first produced Stones Bitter at the Cannon Brewery in 1948.
From 1979, keg Stones began to be promoted heavily nationwide, and the beer was introduced to the South of England for the first time.
Stones Bitter became the highest selling beer for Bass Breweries from 1981, when it overtook Worthington E in sales.[citation needed] Stones was the ninth most popular beer in the United Kingdom in 1989, with two per cent of all beer sales.[8] Demand was such that the Cannon Brewery was paying up to £1.5 million per month in duty by 1991.[9] Cask conditioned Stones won silver in the Bitter category in the CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain in 1991.[10] Stones was the highest selling bitter in the UK by 1992, a million barrel a year brand, described by Bass as "a tremendously important brand with untapped potential".[11][12] That same year, Bass were criticised for reducing the ABV of Stones from 4.1 per cent to 3.9 per cent ABV in order to reduce the impact of beer duty.[13] The current packaging was introduced in 1994, and evokes Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and blacksmiths, and protector of craftsmen.[14]
In 1997, the
The cask conditioned variant was brewed by
In 2006, Off Licence News identified the canned variant as "continuing a slow but sure decline that has seen its status redefined from national brand to Yorkshire regional over the last decade."[20] As of 2012, Stones Bitter is among the twenty highest selling ales in the United Kingdom, with estimated annual volumes at over 100,000 hectolitres.[21]
Cask conditioned Stones Bitter returned in 2021, brewed under licence by Sheffield brewer TrueNorth.
Recipe and flavour
The recipes for brewery conditioned and cask conditioned Stones differed:
Brewery conditioned Stones is brewed with a blend of hops from America (Columbus and Zeus) and Europe (Magnum and Admiral). The barley variety used is Pearl. The beer comes in kegs and 440ml cans, and is described as having a "fragrant grapefruit-citrus hop aroma, [which] cuts through a characteristically sulphury background with a fruity edge. The unusual salts balance ensures that the bitterness isn’t dry."[22]
Cask conditioned Stones used
Advertising
A major television campaign ran nationally from 1983 until 1991 with the tagline (coined by playwright Peter Whelan): "(Wherever you may wander) there's no taste like Stones".[24][25] The series initially starred Bernard Hill and Tony Barton, although Hill was replaced by Michael Angelis from 1984 onwards. The advertisements followed the characters of Jeff and Dave as they got into scrapes in various overseas locations, with humorous results. By 1987 it had become the UK's longest running bitter campaign of all time.[26]
From 1993 Stones was only advertised in the north of England.[27] The 1994-96 "Sheffield Gold" campaign was set in a steel foundry: a nod to the city's heritage, although it was filmed in the Czech Republic because Sheffield's own foundries were considered to be too clean and automated for the desired gritty and industrial effect.[28] A spokesman for Bass explained: "We wanted sparks and goggles."[29] It was to be the final major marketing push for Stones, and as of 2012 the only marketing support for the brand is the provision of Stones branded glassware and bar merchandise for regular stockists.[citation needed]
Sponsorships
Stones Bitter sponsored the
It also sponsored midlands sports show Central Sports Special.[citation needed]
References
- ^ ISSN 0963-1496.
- ISSN 0961-7051.
- ^ ISSN 0963-1496.
- ISSN 0307-1766.
- ^ S2CID 144167447. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
Stones
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CAMRA Hertfordshire Newsletter, February 1979, No. 13 - S2CID 144167447. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ Competition Commission 2001 Report, Chapter 4: The Market Archived 11 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ISSN 1357-2164. Archived from the originalon 21 September 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
- ^ "Champion Beer of Britain". CAMRA. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Brewing from the heart". Morning Advertiser. 3 January 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2012.[dead link]
- ISSN 0267-6087.
- ISSN 0307-1766.
- ISBN 978-0-415-14429-2. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Competition Commission Beer Report 1997, Chapter 4: The Market - ^ "30 years & counting". InnSpire 50: The Story So Far... Chesterfield CAMRA. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ISSN 0963-2255.
- ^ Ale Cry, Vol. 19, West Lancs CAMRA Branch Newsletter, No.3 Autumn 2004.
- ^ "Pub & Brewery News" (PDF). Chesterfield CAMRA Newsletter. August 2006. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ISSN 0043-5775.
- ^ Alcoholic Drinks: Euromonitor from trade sources/national statistics, 2012
- ^ "Our Drinks Range". Molson Coors. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Stones Bitter". Cyclops Beer. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Tony will Corrie on regardless – Lifestyle – The Visitor". Thevisitor.co.uk. 3 September 2003. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "Old? I'm just getting into my stride..." The Daily Telegraph. London. 12 April 1997. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016.
- ^ "New Campaigns". Campaign. 18 December 1987.
- ^ "Private View". Campaign. 11 June 1993.
- ISBN 978-0-9513573-3-0. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ Cope, Nigel (23 November 1994). "Pembroke: Now: a boss's pounds 12m pay cut". The Independent.
- ^ "Rugby League: League secures a new sponsor in pounds 400,000 deal". The Times. London. 11 April 1986.
- ^ Booth, John (24 August 1997). "p12". The Observer.