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Coopers Ales
by Ken Wohlrob

Screw Fosters Lager. Australians laugh at Americans who drink Fosters much in the way we tend to laugh at Europeans that drink Budweiser. "Eh, look at em'…wouldn't know a good beer from a can of dingo urine. Hey! Hey! 'Ere you go mate, try another can of croc pess." Ah but Coopers- damn, if the descendants of Thomas Cooper don't make a quality line of beers.

A crazed rock climber introduced me to Coopers Sparkling Ale many years back in Kent, Ohio. I've been hooked on the stuff ever since. You still have to work a little bit to find it in the States, but it's worth the effort. Family owned since 1862, the Coopers brewery even makes homebrew kits, a nice indication that they are dedicated to the

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handcrafted brews. What's most important to know about Coopers (Preiss Imports, http://PreissImports.com) is that they are one of the few companies left that still makes bottle conditioned top-fermented ales. What does that mean to the Budweiser drinker? It means that rather than filtering the brew to the point of everything-- including the flavor-- being removed, they allow some of the yeast to go into the bottle. The beer continues to ferment in the bottle and acquire new attributes. In addition, this also gives the lighter of their top-fermented beers a cloudy look. Aesthetically, some consumers are turned off by cloudy beer. Clear = good, cloudy = bad. Those of us who have tasted cloudy beers are almost of the reverse opinion: Clear = not so good, cloudy = better.

For fun, you might want to examine how a Coopers beer can change with time. Buy a six of Coopers; drink one (or five) immediately. Let at least one sit for 2 weeks or so (preferably in a cool, ultraviolet light free place. Open and enjoy. You'll notice the flavor and aroma are a little different.

The king of Coopers top-fermented beers is their Sparkling Ale, which clocks in at around 5.8% alcohol. Like I said above, the beer has a very cloudy appearance due to the yeast. In the mouth is has an almost fruity/steam-beer like taste and more carbonation than your typical ale (think Bass). The aroma is minimal, but the robust taste knocks you in the teeth. (Rating ****1/4)

Coopers Pale Ale is really more of a modification of the Sparkling Ale. It differs in that it has the hop and malt characteristics of a London Pale Ale. A bit lighter in flavor, but still with packing an extra dose of carbonation, this one chimes in at 4.5% alcohol. (Rating ***1/2)

Coming in at a solid 6.8% alcohol, the Coopers Best Extra Stout is as unique to its style as the Sparkling Ale. While it is a classic imperial stout, the Best Extra Stout is much dryer and less weighty than most Guinness knock-offs. This is probably due in large part to the brewer's use of a special roasted black malt instead of roasted barley, the latter of which is used more commonly. In addition, the Coopers Best has a far stronger chocolate taste and aroma than most stouts. It's not surprising that this one took home the 1994 Grand Champion honors at the Australian Beer Awards. (Rating ****)

Ken Wohlrob is the editor of Bully Magazine (http://www.BullyMag.com), an accomplished homebrewer, and all around student of spirited beverages.