From Fresh, The West Australian, January 21.

Australia Day brings beer into focus. The national holiday beer menu has been dominated for decades by lager, because downing the odd thirst-quenching coldie while relaxing in summer heat obviously is a good thing. And you can’t get enough of a good thing, as they say. So, despite a reservoir filled by scores of established mainstream and premium brands, each with a loyal customer base, there’s a constant topping up from a stream of additional contenders.

Over the past year, the number of “new” lagers launched, relaunched, released or imported into WA averaged more than one domestic brand a month, with those from places such as Africa, Mauritius, South America, Italy and Mexico keeping pace.

In the main they sell in the premium bracket. They tend not to be pedigree European classics or notable  Aussie craft brews such as Knappstein Reserve or Crown Ambassador Reserve. Rather, the trend is for lagers marketed with buzzwords including “pure”, “natural”, “low-carb”, “premium”, “special”, “blonde”, “fusion” and varying degrees of “dry”. Promotional blurbs centre mainly on terms like “clean, crisp, refreshing”.

Not that there’s anything wrong in all that. But when companies go to the bother and expense of making a new product, surely it’s reasonable to expect something innovative, flavoursome, even challenging. At least, it should be different, not indifferent. Especially disappointing is when traditional and craft brewers turn out new bottom-fermented beers and the anticipated “Wow” is absent.

My lager-drinking panel rated most of the new drops “all right” and pronounced the odd one “good”. But none was greeting ecstatically. So is the steady flow of new labels merely a business compulsion to gouge bigger market share? Or is it recognition that there’s no limit to public demand for another lager . . . and another . . . and yet another?

What is undeniable is that consumers usually benefit from expanded choice, and that’s what they’re getting: since last Australia Day there have been a lot more easy-drinking lagers around.

Here are a few to refresh the memory, and palate: Sail & Anchor Dry Dock , brewed at Gage Roads for Woolworths outlets; Bighead no-carb; Carlton Dry Fusion; Pure Blonde in cans; Hahn Super Dry 3.5 mid-strength; Bluetongue Premium (relaunched in WA); Coopers 62; Matilda Bay Big Helga (draught, but about to be available in bottles, as well); Stone and Wood Pale Lager from the NSW craft brewery; BrewBoys Charger; Maxx Blonde low-carb lager brewed in New Zealand for Coles; Mac’s Spring Tide low-carb beer from NZ; Steinlager Pure, also from NZ; Phoenix of Mauritius; Peroni Leggera, a low-carb, mid-strength Italian offering; Schnitzer Brau gluten-free German lager; Serengeti, from Kenya; Chile-brewed German-style Kross Pilsner; Baltika 3, a Russian brand, brewed in Australia; Dos Equis of Mexico; and Asahi Black, a Japanese take on Munich-style dark lager.

I have yet to sample three newcomers imported by Barons Brewing set to arrive in WA soon. Bakalar sounds interesting – a bitter, aromatic Czech lager. Then there’s a “classic” Belgian golden lager called 88 Balls. It has Styrian Goldings hops and is said to have “a clean crisp taste that’s refreshing through the finish”. Lucky Beer is a Chinese “lager fusion” of rice flakes, malted barley and Qingdao hops, offering, guess what?  Yes - “a clean taste and crisp finish in a deliciously refreshing beer”.

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Family tradition continues

Tradition is fundamental to Coopers' brewery, which stayed with ale heritage when others concentrated on lager. Part of that tradition is having family members at the helm – and now the process has started which eventually will move it to the next generation.

Rachel Cooper-Casserly, 29, is the first member of the sixth generation to join the South Australian family business full time, as brand marketing coordinator.

The daughter of Coopers chairman and marketing director Glenn Cooper was invited to join when the post  became available after a restructuring.

At the time she was Tourism SA’s campaign services manager. With a degree in communications at the University of SA she had also worked in sales and marketing with an advertising agency and a land developer. Her new job ultimately reports to her father.

“As a Cooper, it is understood that you have to establish yourself away from the brewery and may

later be invited to join,” Ms Cooper-Casserly said. “Being a Cooper is no guarantee that you will be given a job within the brewery.”

She said that, as the eldest of the sixth generation of Coopers, she felt a responsibility to help the pave the way. “When Tim Cooper (managing director) and Glenn retire, it will be important that the next generation is ready to step up.”