Australian Ale ? What's that exactly ?

Yep... Cooper's would take 99% of survey respondents here... And 99.9% in volume sold as well, you'd expect.

It's my go-to ale. Every week I have lunch at the local RSL, and put two Red's down regardless of what I'm eating. And I reckon that Cooper's Sparkling Ale in a 750mL bottle is a particular joy. Dunno why it's better than 375mL bottles..... just seems to be more balanced.

Most of us would like to see Aussie Pale Ale in its own beer style. But a couple of problems here...

1) The arbiters of beers style categories have a collective conscience sitting somewhere between Boston, Bruges, Bavaria & Burton.... the New World doesn't come into consideration.

2) The style itself would be up for debate in Australia anyway....what is it ?

Well, you'd have to go to Cooper's as a touchstone at least.... Pride of Ringwood hops, a clean malt profile, and a cloudy yeasty fruitiness .... say green apple or pear. OK... this serves both Red & Green Coopers.... but anything else ?

I remember one occasion long ago at the old One-Eyed Beer Tasters club at the Lord Nelson Hotel in the Rocks.. Willie Simpson pulled out an aged Kent Town Pale Ale. Must have been something about 1980's Adelaide, but this was all satin & lace. Yet very much the same pedigree as it's larger neighbour. Kent Town is long gone, sadly.

I'll throw some Sydney locals into the mix:

Lord Nelson Three Sheets, James Squire Governor King, Redoak Kolsch.

Kolsch ? Fair enough to pull me up on that. But I will argue that, in Australia at least, this style is so wide and varied that at least one offering is likely to align with Aussie Pale.

A lot of Aussie brewers are hung up on American pales. Little Creatures has paved a wide, wide way, and the ongoing evolution of New World hops, particularly from NZ, has seen the fruit-bomb beer become the norm.

I want clean, fresh malt, (yep... Kolsch-like), good yeasty evidence in ester & eye, served cold, but not too offensive when warming, and sessionable.