The science of beer is really what drove me into the industry. I had no strong desire or need to work behind a bar. I enjoyed the idea of all these moving parts working together and, under the right circumstances, creating something magical. Those right circumstances are why I found myself in Burton upon Trent on a recent trip through the UK.

Burton upon Trent is a small city on the river Trent in East Staffordshire, England. I decided to make an overnight visit to see the National Brewery Centre and hopefully get a peek around the Marston’s Brewing facility. This industrial town did not disappoint.

India Pale Ale

Burton water is extremely “hard,” meaning that it has a high mineral content, in this case gypsum (calcium sulfate). In brewing water, this mineral lends a harsher bitterness to beer, with higher hopping rates. At a time when London was riding the Porter wave, Burton came out swinging with a pale, clear, bitter ale and the people could not get enough of it. As time went on, that pale ale began to take the place of other beer on ships bound for the trip around the Cape of Good Hope and to India. The sailors and soldiers drinking the beer soon realized that the pale ale, with it’s extra hop additions, was weathering the trip much better than previous casks of ale or porter had. This phenomenon was the hops antimicrobial properties in action. The pale ale soon became the style most often sent on the long trips and eventually developed the moniker “India Pale Ale.”

The National Brewery Centre

First stop, The National Brewery Centre. There are two guided tours daily, included with admission (£11.95). I thought it would be like any other included tour, 25 minutes with a guide and then you are set free. No, this was one of the most thorough and wonderful included tour that I’ve ever participated in. We were shown around the museum, stables, microbrewery, and garages for 1.5 hours. The tour was followed by a tasting of three different cask ales in the on-site restaurant/pub, Brewery Tap.

At one point in the mid to late 1800’s, there were nearly 30 breweries in this town of 7,000 people. Bass and Allsopp made up 50% of that production. Now, the town has 8 breweries, with even beloved Marston’s being owned by Carlsberg.

Marston’s

The next day, I was off to Marston’s. Marston’s has been operating in Burton upon Trent since 1834. They’ve been in the current brewery since 1898 and are one of the only breweries in the world to still use a full Burton Union System. Marston’s most popular beer is Pedigree and it drinks like a “Best Bitter” to me– biscuit notes with a light, floral, hop spice. They have several other popular beers (61 Deep, Resolution, Old Empire) but Pedigree is a daily drinker for a lot of people in the area.

The tour was informative and in depth, and as I was the only one visiting on a cold, January day– they were happy to let me peek into all the nooks and crannies. The biggest treat was seeing their Burton Union System. The basic principle of the system is one of preventing excessive beer and yeast loss through foaming, but the consequence is that the beer is in contact with more wood and with more beer, fermenting in a larger volume, typically totaling about 100 barrels. This process results in little chance of an entire batch of beer being ruined and allows for a more consistent flavor profile overall. The system wasn’t running on the day of my visit but it may have been better, as I got to really take a look at in from all different angles.

The cooperage was especially interesting. Cask ale is so important to the identity of UK beer and the art of maintaining those casks is being lost, so it was quite interesting to see a real cooper at work. The good people at Marston’s also let me take a few swings at getting a hoop into place around the staves of one of the barrels.

See You Again

Burton upon Trent is so steeped in beer history that my short visit did it no justice. I will be back to look around and soak up as much as I can from this storied city. If you fancy yourself a beer nerd, really enjoy the science of beer, or just want to sit down with a good pint in a lovely pub (I’m looking at you Burton Bridge Inn)– come here, it’s worth the trek.