View source for Stones Bitter

{{Short description|Beer manufactured by Molson Coors}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox beverage
| name = Stones Bitter
| image = [[File:William Stones Brewery (logo).jpg|frameless|center]]
| alt = William Stones Brewery logo
| type = [[Beer]]
| abv = 3.7%
| manufacturer = [[Molson Coors]]
| distributor = Molson Coors
| origin = [[Sheffield]], England
| introduced = 1948
| discontinued = 
| colour = straw/golden
| flavour = 
| variants = 
| related = 
| website = 
}}

'''Stones Bitter''' is a [[beer]] manufactured and distributed in the United Kingdom by the North American brewer [[Molson Coors]]. It is a [[bitter (style)|bitter]] with a straw-golden hue. Stones Bitter was first brewed in 1948 by [[William Stones Ltd]] at the Cannon Brewery in [[Sheffield]]. It was designed for the local steelworkers and became successful in its local area, becoming one of Sheffield's best known products.<ref name="autogenerated1997">{{cite news|title=Sheffield to lose third big brewery as Bass bitter sales decline|newspaper=Yorkshire Post|date=4 November 1997|issn=0963-1496}}</ref>

[[Bass Brewery|Bass Charrington]] acquired William Stones in 1968, and began to heavily promote the [[keg beer|keg]] variant of Stones Bitter, which eventually became the highest selling bitter in the country. In the 1990s the [[ABV]] of Stones was gradually reduced, and, as ale sales declined, Stones reverted from a national into a regional brand. Following the closure of the Cannon Brewery, Stones has been brewed at a number of different breweries. When Bass exited its brewing business, Stones became a [[Coors Brewing Company|Coors]] brand (later Molson Coors).

Stones was promoted through a series of television advertisements in the 1980s that starred [[Michael Angelis]] and Tony Barton. It eventually became the United Kingdom's longest ever running bitter campaign. Stones sponsored the [[Rugby Football League Championship]] and its successor the [[Super League|Rugby Super League]] throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

== History ==
The head brewer Edward "Ted" Collins first produced Stones Bitter at the Cannon Brewery in 1948.<ref>{{cite news|title=End of an era at brewery|issn=0961-7051|newspaper=Grimsby Evening Telegraph|date=15 December 1998}}</ref> It was designed for the steelworkers of Sheffield's [[Lower Don Valley]].<ref name=autogenerated6>{{cite news|title=Real-ale drinkers dealt bitter blow as Stones falls prey to thirst for lager|issn=0963-1496|newspaper=Yorkshire Post|date=4 November 1997}}</ref> The product was formulated as the working classes began to favour bitter over the [[dark mild]] style of beer.<ref name="autogenerated6"/> The beer's straw colour made it reasonably unusual for the time, and its individuality helped it to become an immediate success.<ref name="autogenerated6"/> By the 1960s its local reputation was "colossal", and it accounted for 80 per cent of William Stones' sales.<ref>{{cite news |title=Britain's Thirst for Variety in Beer |author=Gooding, Keith |newspaper=Financial Times |date=15 May 1969 |issn=0307-1766}}</ref> Stones had such a strong local following that it was described as being "more of a religion than a beer."<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite journal |url= http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/histoire_sociale_social_history/v041/41.81.gutzke.html |title= Runcorn Brewery: The Unofficial History of a Corporate Disaster|first=David W. |last= Gutzke |journal= Histoire Sociale/Social History|date=May 2008 |volume= 41|issue= 81|pages= 215–251|doi=10.1353/his.0.0004 |s2cid=144167447 |quote=Stones |access-date=28 November 2011|doi-access= free }}</ref>

From 1979, keg Stones began to be promoted heavily nationwide, and the beer was introduced to the South of England for the first time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hertsale.org.uk/newsletter/HN13.PDF |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-05-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054805/http://www.hertsale.org.uk/newsletter/HN13.PDF |archive-date=21 September 2013 }} CAMRA Hertfordshire Newsletter, February 1979, No. 13</ref> The beer was promoted following the withdrawal of the unpopular Brew Ten, which was itself intended to replace Bass's regional ales.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Originally the beer would be produced at the Cannon Brewery and then transported to Bass' Hope & Anchor brewery, also in Sheffield, for pasteurisation and kegging, but eventually demand for Stones Bitter became too great for the Cannon alone, and production was also extended to other Bass breweries.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite journal|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/histoire_sociale_social_history/v041/41.81.gutzke.html |title= Runcorn Brewery: The Unofficial History of a Corporate Disaster|year= 2008|doi=10.1353/his.0.0004 |s2cid=144167447 |access-date=18 May 2012|last1= Gutzke|first1= David W.|journal= Histoire Sociale/Social History|volume= 41|issue= 81|pages= 215–251|doi-access= free}}</ref> In the early 1980s Stones Bitter was produced at Bass' [[Runcorn]] brewery, although this ceased after drinkers complained of headaches from the poorly manufactured beer.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The Runcorn beer had been brewed at a higher temperature, which increased the amount of [[hangover]]-inducing [[fusel oil]]s in the beer.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

Stones Bitter became the highest selling beer for Bass Breweries from 1981, when it overtook [[Worthington Brewery|Worthington E]] in sales.{{cn|date=January 2021}} Stones was the ninth most popular beer in the United Kingdom in 1989, with two per cent of all beer sales.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20091211040830/http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/2001/fulltext/452c4.pdf Competition Commission 2001 Report, Chapter 4: The Market]}}</ref> Demand was such that the Cannon Brewery was paying up to £1.5 million per month in duty by 1991.<ref name="CandWH">{{cite web |url=http://www.cwherald.com/archive/archive/hesket%11new%11market-brewery-appoints-new-manager-20020525232624.htm |title=Hesket-new-Market brewery appoints new manager |work=Cumberland and Westmorland Herald |date=25 May 2002 |issn=1357-2164 |access-date=27 November 2011 |archive-date=21 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055503/http://www.cwherald.com/archive/archive/hesket%11new%11market-brewery-appoints-new-manager-20020525232624.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Cask conditioned Stones won silver in the Bitter category in the [[Campaign for Real Ale|CAMRA]] [[Champion Beer of Britain]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|title=Champion Beer of Britain|url=http://www.camra.org.uk/cbob|publisher=CAMRA|access-date=13 September 2012}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite news|title=Brewing from the heart |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-309292749/brewing-heart.html |access-date=18 October 2012 |newspaper=Morning Advertiser |date=3 January 2013 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated5>{{cite news|title=Greenwood Tighe PR wins the Stones Bitter account|issn=0267-6087|newspaper=PR Week|date=14 October 1993}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rawstorne|first=Philip|title=Brewers Criticised for Weakening Beers|issn=0307-1766|newspaper=Financial Times|date=8 June 1993}}</ref> The current packaging was introduced in 1994, and evokes [[Vulcan (mythology)|Vulcan]], the Roman god of fire and blacksmiths, and protector of craftsmen.<ref name="Westwood1996">{{cite book|author=S. Westwood|title=Imagining Cities: Scripts, Signs, Memories|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dIYWbwLJADoC|access-date=13 September 2012|date=12 December 1996|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-14429-2|page=160}}</ref>

In 1997, the ''[[Yorkshire Post]]'' described the beer as "one of Sheffield's most famous exports", and "a name which carries as much pride as the Made in Sheffield stamp."<ref name="autogenerated1997"/> In 1997, [[Bass Brewery|Bass]] decided to deprioritise Stones in order to concentrate on promoting Worthington as their national ale brand.<ref name="competition-commission.org.uk">{{cite web |url=http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1997/fulltext/400c4.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-11-27 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100816082810/http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1997/fulltext/400c4.pdf |archive-date=16 August 2010 }} Competition Commission Beer Report 1997, Chapter 4: The Market</ref> Stones' ABV was further reduced to 3.8 per cent in August 1998, and then to 3.7 per cent a few months later leading to its derision in the ''[[Yorkshire Evening Post]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=30 years & counting|url=http://www.chesterfieldcamra.org.uk/index.php/chesterfield-camra/30-years-and-counting?start=1|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121224002828/http://www.chesterfieldcamra.org.uk/index.php/chesterfield-camra/30-years-and-counting?start=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 December 2012|work=InnSpire 50: The Story So Far...|publisher=Chesterfield CAMRA|access-date=13 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Streets of Leeds, Street Lane, Leeds|url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/lifestyle/the_streets_of_leeds_street_lane_leeds_1_2075060|issn=0963-2255|newspaper=Yorkshire Evening Post|date=17 May 2001}}</ref> Following the closure of the Cannon Brewery in 1999, canned Stones has been brewed in [[Burton upon Trent]] and keg Stones in [[Tadcaster]].

The cask conditioned variant was brewed by [[Highgate Brewery]] of [[Walsall]], [[Thwaites Brewery]] of [[Blackburn]] and finally [[Everards]] of [[Leicester]].<ref>Ale Cry, Vol. 19, West Lancs CAMRA Branch Newsletter, No.3 Autumn 2004.</ref> It was restored to 4.1 per cent ABV and its original recipe in August 2006, with Coors claiming that it would be "like [how] Stones used to taste."<ref>{{cite news|title=Pub & Brewery News|url=http://anders.geekhouse.no/beer/Innspire62.pdf|access-date=13 September 2012|newspaper=Chesterfield CAMRA Newsletter|date=August 2006}}</ref> The product was discontinued in 2011.

[[File:Stones Bitter, Aisle 15, Morrisons, Wetherby (20th March 2020).jpg|thumb|right|Stones Bitter on sale in [[Morrisons]], [[Wetherby]], [[West Yorkshire]].]]
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."<ref>{{cite news|page=20|title=Favour for old faithful styles|newspaper=Off Licence News|date=10 November 2006|issn=0043-5775}}</ref> 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.<ref>Alcoholic Drinks: Euromonitor from trade sources/national statistics, 2012</ref>

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 differ:

Brewery conditioned Stones is brewed with a blend of [[hops]] from America ([[List of hop varieties#Columbus|Columbus]] and [[List of hop varieties#Zeus|Zeus]]) and Europe ([[List of hop varieties#Hallertauer Magnum|Magnum]] and [[List of hop varieties#Admiral|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."<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Drinks Range|url=http://www.molsoncoorsdirect.com/upload/Minisite/onestopshop/index.html|publisher=Molson Coors|access-date=13 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723214809/http://www.molsoncoorsdirect.com/upload/Minisite/onestopshop/index.html|archive-date=23 July 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Cask conditioned Stones uses [[Challenger hop|Challenger]] hops, and is dry hopped with English [[Goldings]]. It is described as having an aroma of hops, [[sulphur]] and grapefruit, with a salty, moreish and zesty taste.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stones Bitter|url=http://www.cyclopsbeer.co.uk/beer/108|publisher=Cyclops Beer|access-date=13 September 2012}}</ref>

== Advertising ==
A major television campaign ran nationally from 1983 until 1991 with the tagline (coined by playwright [[Peter Whelan (playwright)|Peter Whelan]]): "(Wherever you may wander) there's no taste like Stones".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/lifestyle/tony_will_corrie_on_regardless_1_1214813 |title=Tony will Corrie on regardless – Lifestyle – The Visitor |publisher=Thevisitor.co.uk |date=3 September 2003 |access-date=18 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4708332/Old-Im-just-getting-into-my-stride-.-.-..html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115062056/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4708332/Old-Im-just-getting-into-my-stride-.-.-..html | url-status=dead | archive-date=15 January 2016 | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | title=Old? I'm just getting into my stride... | date=12 April 1997}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=New Campaigns|newspaper=Campaign|date=18 December 1987}}</ref>

From 1993 Stones was only advertised in the north of England.<ref>{{cite news|title=Private View|newspaper=Campaign|date=11 June 1993}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Anderson2002">{{cite book|author=Chuck Anderson|title=The Big Lie: The Truth about Advertising|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xf6qAAAACAAJ|access-date=13 September 2012|date=1 January 2002|publisher=Random Thoughts, Limited|isbn=978-0-9513573-3-0|chapter=7}}</ref> A spokesman for Bass explained: "We wanted sparks and goggles."<ref>{{cite news|last=Cope|first=Nigel|title=Pembroke: Now: a boss's pounds 12m pay cut|newspaper=The Independent|date=23 November 1994}}</ref> 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.{{fact|date=May 2023}}

=== Sponsorships ===
Stones Bitter sponsored the [[Rugby Football League Championship]] from 1986 to 1995, and then its successor the Rugby Super League from 1996–7.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Rugby League: League secures a new sponsor in pounds 400,000 deal |date=11 April 1986 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Booth|first=John|title=p12|newspaper=The Observer|date=24 August 1997}}</ref> A 1986–8 set of poster advertisements with the tagline "Stones, sheer poetry" supported the sponsorship. In 1995 and 1996, Stones sponsored the [[Doncaster Handicap]] and the [[Park Hill Stakes]] horse racing events. Stones Bitter are also sponsors of the [[Sheffield Steelers]], they have a sponsor on the bottom of their jersey.{{fact|date=May 2023}}

It also sponsored midlands sports show Central Sports Special.{{fact|date=May 2023}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Molson Coors Beverage Company}}

[[Category:Molson Coors brands]]
[[Category:Beer brands of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Yorkshire cuisine]]