E-Malt.com News article: Australia: Coopers says secondary fermentation makes its iconic beer so popular

According to Glenn Cooper, Coopers Brewing chairman and great, great, great grandson of founder Thomas Cooper, it’s the secondary fermentation they use that makes the company’s iconic brew so popular, Food Magazine reported on July 8.

“We are one of the few brewing companies in the world that use secondary fermentation – there are a few brewers in Belgium that use it but in Australia, we are certainly the only traditional beer brewer that use this secondary fermentation process.”

“It’s one of the many things that makes Coopers beer so great.”

As Australia’s largest and only family-owned brewery - starting way back in 1862 - the South Australian-based company sold almost 70 million litres of beer in the 2013 financial year.

Launching its limited edition 2015 Extra Strong Vintage Ale, Coopers is also finding that despite Australia’s crowded beer market, its Pale Ale and Sparkling Ales are as popular as ever - thanks to both the evolving palette of Australian beer drinkers and its own research and development.

“The philosophy behind the 2015 Extra Strong Ale, as with previous vintages, was to ensure it was brewed with rich and intense flavours,” Coopers’ Managing Director and Chief Brewer Dr. Tim Cooper said.

“Five hop varieties have been carefully combined to become the feature of this year’s Vintage Ale.”

With a bitterness rating of 60 International Bitterness Units (IBU), the company said that the 2015 Extra Strong Vintage Ale “will stand up well as the beer matures, augmenting its cellaring potential.”

This is in conjunction with the strain of yeast they are using, which the company said, stems back from 1910, and is, as the company press release noted, “reliably designed to produce delicious esters and fruity flavours during an extended fermentation.”

However one term that the company does not like to use is ‘craft brewer’, a term that does not sit well with the company’s scions.

“We are still very much a traditional beer brewing company,” said Glenn Cooper.

Joel Shean, Coopers Trade Marketing Co-ordinator noted a survey from a few years ago whereby beer drinkers were asked to classify a range of beer brands.

While some of the brands were thought of as standard beers and others as craft beers, “no-one knew exactly where to put Coopers.”

Now with its Vintage Ale in its 15th year and with over 150 years of brewing history under its belt, Coopers Brewing is finding that tradition is a great way to move its iconic Australian beer into the future.


08 July, 2015