The first version of this style appeared in 1862 and is owned by Coopers. Today it is the only Australian producer of sparkling ale. The drink itself is transparent, but a characteristic feature of serving is always with yeast sediment. To do this, the bottle is shaken well or rolled over the bar counter; when pouring from the tap, the bartender turns the kegs over. As the name implies, ale is highly carbonated and is drunk fresh, as it loses most of its properties during aging.
Unlike many of its counterparts of the same style, it was created not to spite lagers, but to compete with British pale ales. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, some sparkling lagers were also labeled as ales, and this created some confusion. Today, everything has fallen into place, as there is only one brewery (Coopers) left that specializes in this style, and it uses top fermentation, as it should be.
The beer is balanced, without sharp tastes and notes, but very drinkable, with a complex bouquet. Yeast character of fermentation. The aroma has notes of malt, hops, yeast, fruit esters, earth, resin, grass, bread. Slight sweetness is acceptable, but caramel or floral flavors are against style standards.
Australian sparkling ale has a golden yellow color, dense foam, sparkling structure. Feels full and soft on the tongue. The finish is dry, well-fermented.
The production uses two-row malt, maybe a little caramel for color. Unmalted raw materials are not allowed. Also need Australian hops, Burton yeast.
The style can be compared to English pale ale, only British ale is not sparkling and has more pronounced malt and hop profiles.
Strength: 4.5-6.0%.
Density: initial 1.038-1.050, final 1.004-1.006.
Bitterness Index: 20-35 IBU.
Color: 4-7 SRM.