Australian brewery switches packaging format

One of Australia’s oldest ales will break with a 157-year bottled tradition this month when it is sold in cans for the first time.

Australian brewery switches packaging format

Coopers Brewery says the packaging change for its Sparkling Ale has been brought on by a surge in demand for cans sparked by the booming craft beer sector.

The South Australian family-owned brewery will release its Sparkling Ale in bright red 375ml cans in mid-August to coincide with the canned release of its new XPA, which has been available on tap in selected outlets since March.

It will bring the number of canned ales in the Coopers line-up to five and comes almost exactly a year after the release of its flagship Original Pale Ale in cans.

Coopers marketing and innovation director Cam Pearce said the can format for crafted beer was increasingly popular. ‘Every year, the Great Australasian Beer Spectacular (GABS) event goes out to beer lovers with the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beer survey,’ he said. ‘The results from May this year, with a record 31,000 people casting votes, was that 77 of the Top 100 beers in the survey were available in cans, compared with only four in 2014. Coopers Original Pale Ale, Session Ale and Coopers Sparkling Ale all made the Top 100.’

Coopers is the largest Australian-owned brewery and is based in the Adelaide suburb of Regency Park.