Hops

According to the brewery, the hops for Coopers Brewery's beers come from Tasmania and the King Valley in northeastern Victoria. Both regions lie far from Adelaide and are cooler and wetter than the hot country surrounding the city.

Hops give beer its bitterness and aroma. The bittering compounds are only released during the long boil of the wort, the sugar solution made from malt and water. The aromatic oils evaporate during this process, which is why some of the hops go into the kettle late, or are even added to the beer after fermentation. This late addition is called dry hopping.

Australia has produced its own hop varieties with fans worldwide, including Galaxy and Vic Secret with their notes of passionfruit and pineapple. Coopers doesn't use them in every beer—the Sparkling Ale relies on malt and yeast rather than hop aroma. An exception is the Session Ale: according to the brewery, it's dry-hopped and smells of tropical fruit.

Bitterness stays moderate in the classic Coopers beers. The Sparkling Ale drinks round and full-bodied, the Pale Ale a bit drier and fresher. Anyone wanting plenty of hop aroma is better off seeking out Adelaide's smaller craft breweries, as the brewery itself focuses on malt and yeast. That suits the Sparkling Ale, which since 1862 has stood out mainly for its yeast character rather than bitterness, and the Pale Ale, which is made at Regency Park on the same principle.