Australia: Coopers Brewery opens new visitor’s centre, microbrewery and whisky distillery at its Regency Park brewery

On Tuesday, August 6, Coopers Brewery swung open the doors to its new visitor’s centre, microbrewery and whisky distillery, situated alongside the existing brewery at Regency Park, South Australia, The Shout reported.

The new, world-class facility has been designed to offer a unique and immersive experience for local, national and international tourists, celebrating the 162-year legacy of the brand.

Now, the home of Coopers comprises a restaurant, three bars and an expansive outdoor plaza, alongside a dedicated tasting room and interactive history displays.

For the first time in the history of the business, Coopers will expand its realm into the world of whisky using the new on-site whisky distillery, positioned alongside a new microbrewery which will allow Coopers to produce small-batch experimental beers.

Almost 20 months since construction began at the Regency Park site, the $70m development was unveiled at an official opening event, officiated by South Australian Governor, Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC and attended by the Cooper family and more than 300 industry professionals.

Speaking at the official opening, Coopers Managing Director Dr Tim Cooper said: “This new visitors centre is about celebrating our history and our originality with an emphasis on what makes Coopers different. We’re still standing and still independent at a time when brewery ownership is becoming increasingly concentrated.”

Two of the key features of the new site are the addition of a microbrewery and whisky distillery, allowing Coopers to be more experimental in its production.

While the existing brewery will continue to operate as normal, the new microbrewery has been developed as a space for Coopers to craft experimental brews available exclusively at the visitor’s centre, alongside the core range of 13 beers.

Cooper said: “This is an opportunity for us to be able to experiment with small-batch brewing. When we do a brew like we did the Botanic Ale recently, for that batch the minimum size we can do is 650-hectare litres, that’s 65,000 litres. If we get it wrong, which we try not to do, it has to go down the drain, and that’s a lot of beer to go down the drain.

“Whereas, if we brew 3000 litres, it’s a much more manageable amount, and so we can try different things, try things that we would not otherwise try in the large brewhouse.”

For the first time, the team at Coopers will also branch out into a new liquid, producing whisky using malt that is made on-site and crafted in custom-made cooper whisky stills, fabricated in Scotland especially for the new site. Additionally, the new space has underground stillage for 5000 whisky barrels.

Speaking about the decision to expand into an entirely new category, Cooper said: “We do a number of things with barley malt, and whisky was one thing that we’ve never done. So we thought, we know how to do the malting, we know how to do the brewing, the fermentation. The last step, which we don’t know, is the distilling and maturation. So, with any luck, over the next four years we will master that as well.”

To allow for spirit maturation, visitors will have to wait a few years before Coopers’ first whisky is released.

All of these new facilities sit within the visitor’s centre building at the heart of the Regency Park site. The two-storey building, which has capacity for 400 people, features a unique curved design inspired by the iconic Coopers roundel label, utilising stainless steel, copper, timber and concrete elements.

What started as a A$50m investment, became a A$70m investment as construction costs increased and the family elaborated on the scope, bringing Coopers’ total investment at Regency Park to almost A$400m since 1999.

From the visitor’s centre, guests will be able to enjoy modern restaurant and bar facilities, led by industry hall of famer Peter Morelli, who was appointed Venue Manager and leads a 24-strong team. The full Coopers beer range is available on tap, along with a seasonal beer-inspired food menu.

The Coopers kitchen is led by Head Chef Fabio Castello, whose menu blends the flavours of South American and Mediterranean cuisine with the taste of Coopers premium beers. Highlights include Coopers Original Pale Ale-battered flathead with chips, crumbed veal cutlet and a selection burgers, pizzas and plant-based options.

Hoping to attract 100,000 visitors each year, Coopers has reintroduced its brewery tours, which incorporate the new facility and an interactive history display, with all proceeds going to the Coopers Foundation.

“Although we’ve been running tours since 2006, this new facility will augment and expand our visitor experience. We’ll open to the public on 28 August under the expert supervision of Peter Morelli, who has been a great long term supporter of Coopers and will create a lasting impression for new visitors and ongoing connection for our consumers,” added Cooper.

On Monday 5 August, the Federal Government increased excise duty rates for alcohol on beer, with the cost of making a keg of full-strength beer rising from A$42.37 to A$43.22. Twice yearly tax increases are continuing to challenge the brewing industry, and following the latest beer excise hike, Cooper took the opportunity to discuss the damaging impact it is having on both the industry and consumers.

“Indexation is the thing that we really rail against. We think that at roughly 40 per cent of the cost of a carton of beer, the excise is already enough. If you add the GST on top, we’re over 40 per cent of the cost of a carton of beer as tax, and that makes us the third highest in the world, after Finland and Norway.

“As I said to Joe Hockey when he was Treasurer, you’re now in a situation where you’re not getting much more tax, because the consumption of beer is elastic. As the price goes up, brewers will put the price up when excise goes up, and that happens every six months, so of course makes the product more expensive.

“It’s very sad to see people swapping from beer to other products because they find that beer is now too expensive. We know that at the pubs, beer is really out of the reach for many people, and we’d dearly like to see the indexation stop and the Treasury to be happy with the $2.5bn that they already get from the beer drinkers of Australia.”

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