The land down under might be out of the World Cup, but they are still up in the World Cup of beer! When most people think of Australian beer they think about Foster's... after all, they are Australian for beer, right? Well, I have it on good authority from the mouth of an Aussie that Foster's is really Australian for Natty Light. In fact, when I was studying in London one Summer Foster's was our go-to beer... because it was the cheapest beer in the stores. Australia is also home to many microbreweries, not unlike their island neighbors New Zealand, and per capita drink the 4th most beer of all nations. Since this is the BR Beer Scene, though... I'm going to feature one of Australia's brewers that is regularly available in South Louisiana... Coopers.
One of the amazing thing about Coopers is that they started in 1862, and are still owned by the Cooper family. They are the largest family-owned brewery in Australia and like I said, one of the few to export their beer to international markets. I've tried a handful of their offerings over the years... always in bottles, at places like the Chimes, or picked them up myself at various beer retailers in town. Perhaps their best beer is the Coopers Best Extra Stout, always found in the bottles with the yellow labels and a well above-average stout beer. It's a strong beer, at over 6% alcohol, with hints of coffee and dark fruits. They also produce a Vintage Ale, meant to be aged and quite similar in style to the Fuller's Vintage Ale I featured for England a few weeks back. I've seen this one around town, as well as their original Pale Ale, one of their most popular brews.
These guys aren't quite going to give the best brewers in the world a run for their money but they are still putting out quality beers that can be found at the local grocers... so give them a try for something different!
Sources:
A Good Beer Blog
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