About This Beer
Coopers Brewery Sparkling Ale 37.5cl 5.8% is one of Australia’s most enduring beers. First brewed in 1862, it has more than 160 years of history behind it and remains closely associated with both Coopers Brewery and the distinctive Australian Sparkling Ale style.
Known to generations of Australian beer drinkers as Coopers “Red Label”, Sparkling Ale traces its origins back to brewery founder Thomas Cooper and the earliest years of the brewery.
One of the defining features of Coopers Sparkling Ale is natural conditioning. Rather than removing all of the yeast before packaging, the beer undergoes secondary fermentation after packaging using Coopers’ own yeast strain.
This process produces the sediment visible at the bottom of the bottle. It is completely intentional and forms part of the character of a traditionally bottle-conditioned Coopers ale.
It also gives you a choice when serving the beer. A careful pour can leave much of the sediment behind for a clearer glass. Alternatively, gently rolling the bottle before opening distributes the yeast throughout the beer, producing the characteristic cloudy appearance many Coopers drinkers prefer.
Sparkling Ale pours deep golden to amber and delivers a combination of fruity and floral fermentation character, distinctive malt and firm hop bitterness. At 5.8% ABV, it has more strength and body than many mainstream Australian lagers, while its clean finish and lively carbonation maintain its drinkability.
For anyone exploring traditional beer styles, Australian Sparkling Ale is particularly interesting. It developed as a distinct Australian interpretation of ale rather than simply replicating a British or European style, and Coopers Sparkling Ale remains one of the beers most closely associated with it.
It is a fascinating addition to our Australian craft beer range and a beer whose history stretches back long before the emergence of the modern craft beer movement.
Tasting Notes
- Appearance: Deep golden to amber with a lively head. The natural yeast sediment can be incorporated to give the beer its traditional cloudy appearance.
- Aroma: Fruity and floral with underlying malt and distinctive fermentation character.
- Taste: Rich malt is accompanied by fruity ale flavours before a firm hop bitterness brings balance.
- Mouthfeel: Lively and full-flavoured, with natural conditioning contributing carbonation and texture.
- Finish: Clean and refreshing with lingering malt character and a balanced, persistent bitterness.
About the Brewery
Coopers Brewery is an Australian brewery based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a history stretching back to 1862.
The brewery’s story began with Thomas Cooper, an English-born settler who brewed his first recorded batch of ale after arriving in South Australia. What began on a relatively small scale developed into a brewing business that would become particularly well known for naturally conditioned ales and stout.
Sparkling Ale is therefore much more than a heritage-inspired modern release. Its history is intertwined with the origins of Coopers itself.
Natural conditioning has remained one of the brewery’s most recognisable characteristics. While modern brewing increasingly embraced filtration and other methods of producing bright, clear beer, Coopers retained secondary fermentation as an important part of several of its most famous beers.
That tradition is immediately visible when you pick up a bottle of Sparkling Ale. The yeast sediment is a consequence of the conditioning process and has become part of the ritual associated with drinking Coopers beer.
Today, Coopers operates from its brewery at Regency Park in South Australia, while Sparkling Ale continues to be one of the beers most closely associated with the Coopers name.
Its longevity makes it particularly interesting within our wider Craft Beer & Craft Cider selection. While many of the breweries represented are products of the modern craft beer movement, the story of Coopers Sparkling Ale reaches back to the nineteenth century.
Food Pairings
Coopers Sparkling Ale has enough malt character, fruitiness and bitterness to work with a broad range of food.
Grilled and barbecued meats are particularly good choices. Try it with steak, burgers, sausages or barbecued chicken. The malt complements the caramelised flavours produced by grilling, while the beer’s carbonation and bitterness help refresh the palate.
Roast pork and pork chops are another excellent match. The subtle fruity character of the ale works well with the natural sweetness of pork, while the bitterness provides enough contrast for richer cuts.
Sparkling Ale can also handle moderately spicy food. Try it with curry, spicy chicken, chilli or aromatic noodle dishes, where its fuller malt character prevents the beer from disappearing alongside stronger flavours.
For cheese, mature Cheddar makes an easy pairing. Its savoury richness works with the malt while the beer’s carbonation and bitterness help cut through the cheese.
Try More Like This
Australian Sparkling Ale remains a relatively unusual beer style outside Australia, making Coopers Sparkling Ale a particularly worthwhile choice for anyone interested in exploring traditional regional styles.
Discover more beers from the same country in our Australian craft beer selection.
For an even wider choice, explore our complete Craft Beer & Craft Cider collection, bringing together established classics and modern craft beer from Ireland and around the world.
Shop the best of craft beer Ireland and from around the world online with TheCru.ie or in our Dublin craft beer store, Carry Out Tyrrelstown in Dublin 15.