Coopers Brewery occupies an interesting niche in the Australian brewing industry. It isn't one of those young, plucky craft breweries, popping up everywhere with their experimental brews and quirky branding. Nor is it like one of those macro lager-type breweries, run by global conglomerates and losing some of their crafty charm in the process.

While it embodies many of the qualities we admire in craft breweries – a commitment to quality, a dedication to traditional brewing methods, and a sense of independence – it’s yet not part of the craft beer boom. Its roots go back much further, stretching way back to 1862 when Thomas Cooper brewed his first batch in his family's cottage in Adelaide. This makes Coopers the oldest family-owned breweries in Australia. And today, the beers it makes continue to be regarded as quintessentially Australian brews.

The brewery’s story began with a simple act of love and an old English Ale recipe given to Thomas Cooper by his wife. Englishman Thomas initially worked as a dairyman and cobbler, while his wife, Ann, was a daughter of an inn keeper and was originally the home brewing expert. One day, Ann fell ill. Thomas, in a bid to revive her spirits, tried his hand at brewing his first batch of beer as a tonic for her. This act of love serendipitously uncovered Thomas' talent for brewing. Friends and neighbours who tried the brew were so impressed with the result that they encouraged him to brew again - this time as a business. And so, almost by accident, Coopers Brewery's journey began on 13 May 1862 when Thomas recorded his first major batch of beer, aptly named 'Batch A'.

But how did an Englishman’s brew become “quintessentially Australian”? You see, early brewers in Australia, like Thomas, initially attempted to mirror the British ales they recalled from home. However, British brewing traditions proved less useful in the heat of the Southern Hemisphere. Unfruitful hop cultivation and the need to substitute quality barley with adjunct grains like corn or rice posed challenges. Moreover, British-style ales, with their heavy malt profiles, were considered by drinkers too heavy and rich for the hot Australian climate. Drinkers sought something more refreshing, something that suited their dry, sweltering environment.

Unlike the thick, malty English ale, lagers also became much more popular in Australia for its crisp, clean flavour profile. 

In response to these challenges, Australian brewers, including Coopers gradually modified their English Ale recipe to create a different beast – the Sparkling Ale. This style combined the effervescence of sparkling wine with the rich, full-bodied character of ale, resulting in a beer that was both rich and flavourful but refreshing as well. Apart from its lively carbonation, Sparkling Ale is also known its unfiltered, cloudy appearance, a result of the bottle conditioning process which adds complexity and texture to the beer. It is worth noting that Sparkling Ale is Australia's only native-born beer style.

From these humble beginnings, Coopers Brewery embarked on a remarkable journey, marked by both triumphs and challenges. Several waves of consolidation swept through the Australian brewing industry since the early 1900s, with many smaller breweries either closing their doors or being acquired by bigger companies. Coopers, however, weathered the storm, its resilience rooted in its strong family ties and its ability to adapt to changing times.

One of Coopers' key strengths has been its ability to adapt and innovate while remaining true to its traditional brewing methods. In the 1970s and '80s, when the Australian beer market was dominated by mass-produced lagers and Coopers seemed antiquated, the company made a strategic move into the home-brewing market. This bet proved to be a master stroke as Coppers is now the world’s largest producer and exporter of home-brew kits, a move that not only diversified its business but also helped it through tough times. Today, Coopers is a significant player in the homebrewing industry, with its DIY homebrew kits among the most popular in the world.

The Coopers united family has also played a crucial role in the brewery's success, fending off several aggressive acquisition attempts over the years. In 2005, almost all of Coopers' 117 shareholders, mostly family members, rejected a 450-million-Australian-dollar acquisition offer from brewing giant Lion-Nathan, preferring to commit to preserving the brewery's independence.

Today, Coopers is Australia’s largest independent brewery and the fourth-largest beer brand, accounting for very respectable 5% of the Australian national beer market. According to Coopers, they owe everything to their fans in Australia who take pride in supporting an Australian-owned-and-operated brewery, and the company claims little has changed with its product since Thomas Cooper brewed his first batch of Sparkling Ale. This commitment to traditional brewing, coupled with a willingness to innovate in business, has been the cornerstone of Coopers' success.

Coopers is particularly famous for its hazy, cloudy brews that testify to its traditional brewing methods and its refusal to filter its beers. Its flagship beer, the Original Pale Ale, is a prime example. Known for its hazy appearance, velvety texture, and light, crisp flavour, it strikes a delicate balance of malt and hops, making it a refreshing and approachable beer that appeals to a wide range of palates.

Then there's the Sparkling Ale, a beer that embodies Coopers' pioneering Australian spirit. Like its English ancestor, it has a rich malt profile, noticeable fruit esters, but much livelier carbonation and a creamy mouthfeel; it's a beer that's both complex and refreshing.

The unique character of Coopers’ beers is the result of Coopers' brewing expertise, which uses traditional brewing techniques that leave yeast in the bottle and allows the beer to continue fermenting, creates heavy natural carbonation and adds layers of complexity to the flavour profile.

Interestingly, Coopers' focus on Sparkling Ale wasn't met with enthusiasm back in the 1800s. Early settlers in Australia, many of whom were of German descent, preferred imported German lager. Those of English descent also viewed Sparkling Ale as a subpar version of English Ale. By the 1900s, Coopers Brewing was the only brewery still producing Sparkling Ale.

The tides have turned so much since then. Today, Coopers is flourishing, and there's a resurgence of interest in Australia's native historic beer style. Sparkling Ale, once on the brink of extinction, is now hailed as Australia's iconic beer style.

Coopers, ever the innovator, hasn't stopped at beer or homebrewing kits. In recent years, they've ventured into the world of whisky distilling, establishing a state-of-the-art facility in Adelaide’s Regency Park that leverages the company’s existing malting operation. Coopers’ whisky distillery features several custom-made copper stills imported from Scotland, and they are using their own malt produced on-site to create a whisky that is uniquely their own. While it will be a few years before we see the first bottles of Coopers whisky hit the shelves, the anticipation is already building.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Coopers' heart and soul remain in its beers, and there's no better place to start than with their flagship, the Original Pale Ale!

Coopers Original Pale Ale, 4.5% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Nose: Rather intense yeastiness and hoppiness dominate the aroma, accompanied by herbaceous notes reminiscent of parsley. Hints of apricot and a subtle, sweet oyster sauce-like scent along with a touch of hay that evokes a Maibock (strong malt German ale) character.

Palate: Pretty complex! Pronounced hoppiness gradually transitions into a mild sourness. Slightly mellower on the palate than the nose suggests, with a distinct citrusy character of tangerines and fresh pomelo pith bitterness. A touch of maltiness peeks through, complemented by depths of raw honey and cloves.

Finish: Pleasantly spiced, reminiscent of a witbier , alongside a lingering hop bitterness and a light roasted malt touch. The apricot notes from the nose makes a reappearance, intertwined with a subtle hint of teriyaki.

My Thoughts:

Wow, I wasn’t expecting a something labelled as an "Original Pale Ale" to be so complex and showcase such exotic European beer character.

This is a rich and complex brew with an unusual interplay of sweetness and spice that I think will be really appreciated by German beer enthusiasts and fans of Maibock beers. Don’t expect a straightforward, hop-forward American-style pale ale – if you are, keep an open mind because this is objectively good stuff. 

Those looking for something more complex should try the Coopers Original Pale Ale which proved to be one of richest and most complex of the Australian commercial beers I've tried. It has an unexpected German Maibock beer style influence that took me by surprise in what’s labelled as a Pale Ale. 

@CharsiuCharlie