Bass Pale Ale is to be renamed Bass Trademark No.1, celebrating the brand’s place in history as the first registered trademark in the UK. Owner AB InBev has also announced that the beer will be made available for the first time in a 500ml bottle exclusively for the off-trade, responding to increased consumer demand for premium bottled ales.

Bass Pale Ale, now Bass Trademark No.1, has been brewed in the UK since the 18th century and AB InBev says its brewmasters today share the same passion for making the ale.  It will continue to be brewed at AB InBev’s Samlesbury brewery, near Preston.

Brewery manager, Neil Nersesian, said: “To continue brewing this historic beer is a great honour and we are excited to be bringing Bass to a new audience with the launch of the 500ml bottle.  Bass Trademark No.1 is a timeless and iconic ale which is steeped in history. It will delight beer-lovers today, just as it has delighted them over the last two hundred years.”

Bass Trademark No.1 is a 4.4% ABV premium pale ale.  It is richly fragrant with a hoppy bouquet, says the brewer, and has a complex nutty, malty taste and a bright chestnut hue.

Draught Bass, meanwhile, will continue to be brewed under contract by Marston’s in Burton-upon-Trent.