Bass India Pale Ale Becomes A Global Export Brand

During the 1840s, Bass & Co. expanded its India Pale Ale exports throughout the British Empire and beyond. Building on the success of Burton-on-Trent's brewing industry, the brewery developed a reputation for producing highly regarded pale ales that were shipped to India, Australia, North America, and other overseas markets. As export volumes increased, Bass became one of the most recognizable names in the global beer trade. The brewery's pale ales benefited from Burton-on-Trent's sulfate-rich water and from improvements in transportation that enabled large-scale distribution. By the middle of the nineteenth century, Bass had become one of the world's largest brewers and a leading producer of India Pale Ale. The international success of Bass helped transform IPA from a beer associated primarily with the India trade into a globally recognized style. The brewery's export network and commercial influence contributed significantly to the spread of IPA throughout the nineteenth century and helped establish Burton-brewed pale ale as the international standard.