John Marston's Brewery makes use of water from the famous Burton Well, reputedly discovered by Benedictine Monks in the thirteenth century.
Marston's is the only remaining independent brewer in Burton, where there were once 30. Burton's only other brewer today is the giant Bass Brewers.
Marston's is also the only remaining brewer to use Burton Union Sets—a system whereby fermentation barrels and troughs are linked together by a complex system of copper and brass pipework. The basic principle is one of preventing excessive beer and yeast loss through foaming, but the consequence is that the beer is both in contact with more wood and in contact with more beer (fermenting in a bigger volume). This results in a vastly more consistent flavour—and very little chance of a whole batch being ruined.
All other large-scale brewers have abandoned this method in favour of stainless steel vats, which while they assure (through volume) a consistent flavour, do not permit the use of traditional yeast varieties.
Marston's flagship beer is Pedigree, often described as a bitter, but generally considered a pale ale. Typically Marston's uses the classic combination of Mariss Ottar barley and Fuggles and Goldings hops.
Marston's brewery is open to visitors.