The Pride of South Australia

The history of the Cooper’s Brewery is as rich and colourful as Adelaide itself. The key to their success can be attributed to the 3 P’s – perseverance, purity, and popularity. The brewing dynasty of Yorkshireman Thomas Cooper dates back to 1862, but Thomas never meant to start a brewing business. A tradesman with gained expertise as a stonemason, shoemaker, and dairyman, Thomas was asked by his wife Ann, the daughter of an Innkeeper, to brew up a batch of stout from an old family recipe to help cure an unknown illness. Word quickly got around and Thomas soon found himself brewing the same Sparkling Ale and Extra Stout we still enjoy today for neighbours and friends. As the brewery flourished, Thomas delivered his beer by horse and cart direct to homes of his customers, a Cooper tradition which survived until the 1920’s.

There were many small breweries operating in the 1840’3 on and by 1868 there were 43 breweries in South Australia. All encountered problems including bacterial infections from the higher Aussie temperature than England and inferior malt. The use of sugar in brewing as an adjunct was a way to overcome the malt problem. In a letter to his bother, Thomas Cooper states “There are half a dozen breweries in and about Adelaide but they use a good deal of sugar for brewing, but we use only malt and hops consequently, ours being pure, the Doctors recommend it to all their patients.”

Through the 1880’s South Australia experienced a decline in the economy following the onset of drought and falls in major exports of wheat and copper. The decline was felt in the brewing industry as well with Cooper’s production down to 62 brews a year and remained at that level for the next ten years. In 1881, Thomas Cooper had moved from Norwood to set up a new brewery at suburban Leabrook, then very much an outer suburb of Adelaide. Coopers operated on the Leabrook site for the next 120 years until 2001 when it moved to a new $40 million brewery it built at Regency Park to overcome problems associated with a lack of room at Leabrook, now one of Adelaide’s more prestigious suburbs.

By 1900 there were only 25 breweries left in the colony when Thomas retired leaving all his property to his four sons with instructions to ‘Carry on my business as brewers under the form “Thos Cooper & Sons” as partners and trustees

During the first two decades of the 20th century, the demand for Coopers showed an increase of 300% despite another major drought (1914) and the onset of World War 1. Shortages of brewing materials, manpower and an aged 29 year old brewery hampered Coopers production during the war years., yet in 1923/24 Coopers had 56% of the stout market due to the fact that it contained higher levels of alcohol and considered ‘value for money’

Coopers survived the great depression, continued shortages of materials, and lack of manpower during the war years, so by the mid 1940’s the brewing equipment required desperate upgrades. By 1945 one section of the brewery was in urgent need, wooden fermenting vats needed replacement to avoid infection problems experienced by other local breweries. The continued escalation of costs made it difficult to generate good profits requiring reduced dividends to shareholders including no dividend in 1951.Coopers relied heavily on the stout market and their leading competitor, SA Brewing, reintroduced their product which started a stout war. In Cooper’s centenary year of 1962 the two rival companies met and consulted with shareholders to mutually exchange shares giving SA Brewing 25% interest in Cooper’s. Along with the family share structure, this deal virtually eliminated a buy out of the company. This trust and loyalty is an integral part of Coopers and was seen recently again when in late 2005, Coopers was the subject of a hostile takeover bid by rival NZ-Japanese owned brewer Lion Nathan. That takeover bid was resoundingly defeated just before Christmas when the 118 Coopers shareholders, mostly descendants of Thomas Cooper, voted 93.42% to 6.58% in favour of a motion that effectively ended the bid.

Today, Coopers Brewery is the third largest brewer in Australia and the only one that remains entirely family-owned. The company is now being run by the fifth generation of the same family. As they like to say at Coopers, you can still meet a Cooper, but there is no Mr Lion, Mr Nathan or even a Mr Carlton. Coopers currently has about 3% of the national beer market but is growing rapidly, particularly in the Eastern States where growth in recent years has been in the order of 30% plus each year. In its home state of South Australia, Coopers has about a 25% share of the market. It exports bottled beers to a number of countries, including the UK, USA and countries throughout Europe and Asia. It also recently sent its first shipment of beer to Brazil. Coopers is also the largest producer of home brew concentrates in the world and exports them to most corners of the globe. In Australia, concentrates are sold through supermarkets and specialty home brew stores.

Top Notch

As the Spring Racing Carnival has concluded and we wind the turn towards the holidays, it’s a good chance to see what the Australian premium beer market will offer us for the silly season. Odds are good that the competition will be fierce as the premium beer ‘yearling’ has shown good form on a slow track all year. Look for value this season both in the bar and the bottle shop, but be willing to take long shot for pure enjoyment; life’s to short to be entirely driven by the almighty dollar.

Down in the Apple Isle the ‘Beer Wars’ continues like a family feud. This real life North vs. South conflict has intensified with J. Boag & Son to the north expanding their brewery and announcing a new beer for the mainland – Boags Draught. While Cascade to the south continues to go from strength to strength with their Four Seasons specialty beers with Summer Blonde making its third seasonal appearance, and Cascade Premium Light continues to hold the title of premium light beer of choice on the market.

Strong sales growth of its premium beers has led J. Boag & Son to invest in a major expansion program which will double the capacity of the Launceston Brewery
The first stage of the expansion was to install a new $15million high speed packaging line, completed in October. The addition of this new bottling line has enabled J. Boag & Son to launch their oldest brand, Boag’s Draught nationally. Director Lyndon Adams, said, “In the last six years our sales have doubled with the phenomenal growth led by James Boag’s Premium, which is now Australia’s second largest premium beer brand.” “Our growth has led to the situation where we have outgrown our current facility. Following a review of all possible expansion options open to us, the company felt that maintaining the authentic Tasmanian origin of our brands was critical to our ongoing success, and thus we chose to upgrade our existing brewery in Launceston.”

Meanwhile to the south, Cascade continues to score goals with their Four Season range of beers. Created especially for the Australian Summer, Cascade Summer Blonde is a refreshing and zesty blonde wheat beer using the freshest wheat, hops and pure soft water from the slopes of Mount Wellington. The master brewers at Tasmania’s Cascade Brewery have used the highest-grade wheat and barley to ensure the beer is pure and clear. Cascade hops are used to give the beer its distinctive citric aroma and zesty palate.

Back on the mainland, Carlton & United Beverages has launched an advertising campaign with their premier premium beer Crown Lager. Crown Lager is one of Australia’s most iconic brands, launched in 1953, and continues to outsell any other premium beer on the market. The new Crown Lager campaign, created by George Patterson Partners Melbourne, taps into Australians’ positive outlook on life through a combination of still lifestyle images and temp-mort sequences. The photographic images featured in the campaign are in fact ‘real’ people (the majority provided direct from Foster’s employees’ personal photo albums) celebrating the memorable, the important, the exhilarating and the fun moments because as the ad says… “There’s a lot in life to celebrate”.

Matilda Bay Brewing Company has launched their latest specialty beer Roof Top Red Lager. The name "Rooftop Red Lager" gets its inspiration from Paul Kelly's song 'From a 727' where he sings about looking over the roofs of Sydney from a plane. As you approach Sydney’s Kingsford-Smith airport from the west, you fly over areas of Balmain and Leichhardt. Many of the traditional homes of these areas have red tiled or red corrugated iron roofs. Rooftop Red Lager’s distinctive red hue and full, refreshing flavour are created by small-batch brewing using specially selected and lightly-toasted carared and melanoidin malts. The aromatic Hersbrucker hop - added to the kettle late in the boil - softens and balances Rooftop’s malts to deliver a smooth, delicate palate rich with hints of toffee and caramel. Rooftop Red Lager is currently available in selected outlets in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, and with that terrific red hue should put a rosy red glow on all beer loving Santas.

Speaking of Sydney, Tooheys Australia has put their efforts behind the Hahn Premium and Hahn Premium Light brands and the Hillross Australian Golf Tournament. Sign up over the net at www.hahn.golf.com.au to compete for the ultimate golf experience. The competition offers the opportunity for four mates to attend and compete in the Pro-Am tournament, attend the champion’s cocktail party, a free coaching clinic and a signed golf bag. The Hahn beers will also sponsor a National Pub Golf Championship which will involve 4,200 competitors on 42 golf courses around Australia. Entry is simple, requiring contestants to purchase 9 middies or stubbies of Hahn Premium or Hahn Premium Light over a four week period at participating pubs and clubs. Each venue will hold a draw to select their 4 golfers.

The Malt Shovel Brewery has enjoyed continued success with winter and summer limited release brews, and their latest drop is no exception. James Squire Golden Ale has been brewed as a real flavoursome quaffing beer for the forecast long hot summer months ahead. Golden Ale follows the release of James Squire Australian Strong Ale this winter and James Squire Colonial Wheat Beer last summer.” Golden Ale is a lighter bodied beer with an alcohol content of 4.5%. Fresh toasted grains of Barley and Wheat give it a rich orange-amber colour and the pleasing tropical stone fruit aroma comes from the new season Amarillo hops,” said Head Brewer, Doug Donelan. "Often thought of as an English-style summer beer, this brew demands cold fermentation. It has a restrained bitter finish, mild carbonation, a firm head and a dry cracking finish and is an ideal thirst quenching session beer,” added Donelan.

As a special bonus for beer lovers, Golden Ale will also be available on tap at the James Squire Brewhouse 115 Russell Street, Melbourne and at the James Squire Brewhouse King Street Wharf, Sydney. The Malt Shovel Brewers are passionate about their handcrafted beers and are committed to educate discerning drinkers to the delights of matching quality beer and fine food. "Golden Ale would make a great accompaniment for fresh cold prawns, chicken Caesar salad, white-bait fritters, laksa or marguerita pizza,” said Brewmaster, Chuck Hahn.

No review of Australian premium beers would be complete without a look at what’s happening at Adelaide’s Coopers Brewery. We were pleased to discover their annual launch of their Vintage Ale will continue in 2004, and the release of a new mid-strength ale.

The 2004 Coopers Extra Strong Vintage Ale, described by Coopers brewers as the best yet, has a hefty 7.5% alcohol by volume and is expected to develop a more complex and interesting flavour for up to two years. Coopers Extra Strong Vintage Ale was first released in 1998 and was sold out within five days .Other brews followed in 1999, 2000, 2002 and now 2004, with each brew becoming a collector’s item. Some 5000 cases of the 2004 Coopers Extra Strong Vintage Ale, about 25% of the total brew, are being sent to the US to meet orders from American wholesalers. Coopers Chairman and Marketing Director, Mr Glenn Cooper, said that 2004 Vintage Ale had been ordered by a number of exclusive restaurants in the US, including Rubicon in San Francisco, jointly owned by actors Robin Williams and Robert de Niro and film producer Francis Ford Coppola.

Coopers Brewery has launched a new mid-strength premium beer to its range of premium quality, naturally conditioned ales .Coopers Mild Ale is a full flavoured ale with an alcohol content of 3.5%, designed to meet the growing demand Australia-wide for mid-strength beers. Coopers Managing Director and Chief Brewer, Dr Tim Cooper, said “Mild Ale is a smooth, easy-drinking ale that was very similar in flavour profile to Coopers Pale Ale and Sparkling Ale, but slightly softer.” Dr Cooper added “The idea was first conceived about two years ago when a number of publicans at a trade day suggested that Coopers look at developing a lighter brew to cater for the demand for flavour, but with lower alcohol. We experimented with a number of different brews last year to try and find the right balance between malt and hop characters,” he said. “We then tested what is now known as Mild Ale in market conditions before looking for an appropriate name.”Dr Cooper went on to say “Mild Ale is a distinctive category of ale in England, created in the nineteenth century as a restorative for labourers and heavy manual workers. It remains popular in the Midlands and Northwest of England, as a beer full in flavour but with a slightly lower alcohol content and hop bitterness. Mild Ale is the product of brewing with a selection of barley and wheat malt and with no added sugar,” he said. “This traditional brewing approach provides the smooth malt character which is balanced by a triple hopping with Pride of Ringwood and Saaz hops. “It is fermented similarly to its stablemates, Pale Ale and Sparkling Ale, with the customary secondary fermentation in the bottle and can.”