Coopers Brewery introduces two new premium lager beers

07/11/05 Coopers Brewery has launched two new premium lager beers to replace Regency Draught and Regency Light as part of a shake-up of its lager beer portfolio.

The new Coopers Lager and Coopers Premium Light will spearhead a drive by Coopers to capture a substantial portion of the Australian lager beer market and complement the runaway success being enjoyed by its traditional ales, particularly Coopers Pale Ale. Production of Regency Draught and Regency Light stopped in early October, with stocks of Coopers Lager and Coopers Premium Light now available in hotels, clubs and bottleshops in South Australia. The beers will be made available to interstate markets later.

The new beers are available in high-quality basket carry packs and pre-print cartons that reflect their premium status.

Coopers Lager has a crisp, refreshing flavour with a good balance of malt and hop characteristics, similar in style to premium European lagers. It has a light golden colour, high clarity and an excellent head. The aroma is fresh and clean with fruity esters and floral late hop notes. The flavour is initially smooth and malty followed by a firm, mid-palate bitterness and crisp, non-lingering after-bitterness. The malt is from top quality South Australian-grown Sloop and Gairdner barley. Australian Pride of Ringwood hops have been used to provide the majority of the bitterness, while late hopping with Saaz hops provides distinctive floral hop notes. The yeast is a bottom-fermenting type selected for its ability to ferment at low temperatures and provides appealing fruit-estery characteristics. After fermentation at low temperatures, the beer is chilled below zero for lagering and finally cold filtered before being kegged or bottled using state-of-the-art equipment that prevents air contacting the beer and causing oxidisation that damages flavour.

Coopers Premium Light is brewed using traditional lager brewing materials and techniques to produce a full-flavoured light beer which at 2.9% alcohol is 40% lower in alcohol than Coopers Premium Lager. The aroma is fresh and clean with floral late-hop notes while the flavour is initially slightly dry and refreshing followed by a moderate mid-palate bitterness and finishing with a non-lingering after-bitterness. The malt is from top quality South Australian-grown Sloop and Gairdner barley. Australian Pride of Ringwood hops have been used to provide the majority of the hop bitterness, while late hopping with Saaz hops provides distinctive floral hop notes. Brewing methods typical of low-alcohol lager production have been used in the brewhouse to reduce the fermentability and limit alcohol production during fermentation at low temperature. The beer is chilled below zero for the cold storage or lagering period, cold filtered and then kegged or bottled using state-of-the-art equipment that prevents air contacting the beer and causing oxidation that damages flavour.

http://www.coopers.com.au/news.php?id=1223&pid=0