Australia: Craft brewed beer increases popularity among Australians

Craft brewed beer has gained 10% of total premium beer sales as an increasing number of Australians are choosing this kind of the foamy beverage, the Food magazine published on October, 21.

According to the newly formed Rocks Brewing Company’s managing director, Mark Fethers, “Australians have been turning up their tongues to their once sacred sparkling lager and have developed a bigger appetite for punchier boutique brews.

“We are hoping to capitalise on this trend and later this week will release a new red ale brewed specifically to tantalise more sophisticated taste buds,” said Fethers.

“The rapid growth in the craft beer market has been driven by the emergence of microbreweries across the nation and last year accounted for AU$48 million in sales.

“Interestingly, it is more of a resurgence of ale than a birth of a new Aussie beer breed. The first beers brewed in Australia soon after the run rebellion were ales. This was before refrigeration and before cold filters that resemble the great lagers of today,” explained Fethers.

Craft beer has grown more than 9% each year for the past five years, and to date has been dominated by Little Creatures with AU$7.2 million in sales and James Squires Amber Ale with AU$6.3 million.

22 October, 2008