Stones Bitter is a beer manufactured and distributed in the United Kingdom by the North American brewer Molson Coors. It is a 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.[1]
Bass Charrington acquired William Stones in 1968, and began to heavily promote the 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 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 Rugby Super League throughout the 1980s and 1990s.