#summit brewing

What do they drink in Australia.  Not Fosters.  Everything I am reading says that Foster’s has a very small share of the Australian market and that Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) – the brewers of Fosters – has stopped promoting the brand in Australia.  Until recently, CUB was owned by Anheuser-Busch, but was recently sold to Asahi in Japan.  Crikey! 

 The foremost promoter of Australian culture in the US is Outback Steakhouse, and they do sell a lot of Foster’s Lager.  The Foster’s you drink in the US is brewed by MillerCoors in Fort Worth Texas.  I guess it makes sense since Foster’s is an American Adjunct Lager style beer according to Beer Advocate.  A trip to Outback reminds me of the time some German colleagues took me to an “American bar” in Frankfurt.  There were pictures of James Dean and Lucky Strikes on the walls and they served Budweiser.  Despite the possible inauthenticity of Outback, they have two things going for them: 1) Bloomin’ Onions and 2) the Outback Bowl, which the Golden Gophers won on New Year’s Day! 

So, what are the most popular Aussie beers?  According to Roymorgan.Com, these are the top Aussie beers:

#1 Carlton Draught – Style is American Adjunct according to Beer Advocate; Lager / Pale according to Untappd.  Carlton Draught earned an unimpressive 2.68 rating on Untappd and a similarly low rating of 59 on Beer Advocate.

#2 Victoria Bitter – same style, same low ratings

#3 Coopers Pale Ale – Better ratings, English Pale Ale / Pale Ale Australian.

#4 Crown Lager – Low rating, American Adjunct / Lager – Pale

It appears that beer drinking habits in Australia are not all that different from the US.  The names of the beers make them seem like Real Ale, but in fact they are the Millers and the Budweisers of the wide brown land.  While not my mug of beer, there is no denying that adjuncts are popular. Adjuncts are like fast food; we all know that they are down-market, yet who can pass on Chicken McNuggets?  They do have McNuggets in Australia.  Down there they are called Chicken McNuggets.  You can have some with your Big Brekkie Burger.

According to Thenewdaily.com as of November 3, 2018, craft beer accounted for 5% of the Australian beer market and is steadily growing, so who knows, it could be 6% by now!

https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/eat-drink/2018/11/03/australian-craft-beer-industry/

By comparison, in the U.S. craft beer currently has about 20% of the market.  Craft beer got its start in Australia in 1984, about a decade behind the U.S., and couple of years before Summit Brewing Company opened in St. Paul Minnesota, and opened Minnesota’s eyes to what beer could be and would become.

Like the U.S., craft beer in Australia got off to a wallaby wobbly start.  It took Australia until the new millennium to have a sustainable craft industry.  There are currently close to 600 craft breweries, brew pubs and contract brewers in Australia, but only 4 of those are in the Northern Territory.  More on that later.

I couldn’t find statistics on the share of the market held by imports, but it is clear that there are a lot of American and European beers available and no doubt a fair number of Asian brews.  I did see that the big brands have set up breweries or contract brewing in Australia.  Most of the largest craft brewers in Australia have been bought by the brewing behemoths. Browsing Untappd I did see that there are American craft beers from West Coast breweries that have found their way to Australia:  Firestone Walker, Stone, Deschutes among others.  I also noticed “an exchange of signature beers”  between Shipyard Brewing Company in Portland, Maine and Rocks Brewing based in Sydney, NSW.  

Whatever they are drinking in Australia, I bet it tastes better in the Beer Garden at Endeavour Tavern in Lancelin, WA.

Summit Brewing; St. Paul, MN: Summer Ale

4.4% ABV  37 IBU

Live Review – Cantus’ 2016 Covers: A Pop Concert

 By Kelsey Simpkins,  Photo Credit Curtis Johnson Covers: A Pop Concert, is an annual tradition for nine very talented male singers who comprise the Twin Cities ensemble of Cantus – but there is nothing traditional about it. (more…)

Summit Brewing Co; St. Paul, MN: Us & Them, 1st Thread

7.2% ABV  90 IBU

Summit Brewing Co; St. Paul, MN: 30th Anniversary Double IPA

8.5% ABV  101 IBU

Summit Releases Unchained Series 21 @summitbeer

Press Release Summit Releases Unchained Series 21: Us & Them: A Two Thread Brewing Experience An American IPA and Session IPA from Brewer Gabe Smoley ST. PAUL, Minn. (February 17, 2016) – Summit Brewing Company today announces the release of Us & Them: A Two Thread Brewing Experience. The 21st beer in the limited-release Unchained Series will be available on draught and in mixed 12-ounce bottle…