Coopers has announced the release of another limited-edition brew, the Australian IPA, which offers a local take on the popular craft beer style.

With hot summer days now at an end and winter on our doorstep, it’s time to start the search for a sufficiently Australian replacement for the overbearing sun.

Heeding this call, Coopers last week announced the release of a new beer joining their slowly growing craft beer stable: the Australian IPA.

A staple offering of most Australian craft breweries, the IPA is known for its big flavour profile and sizeable ABV level.

Coopers’ Managing Director and Chief Brewer, Tim Cooper says the beer has been in development for many months, with the brewing team honing the hops blend to develop a distinctly Australian take on the style.

The beer’s release continues the heritage brewery’s recent experimentation in younger and more trend-driven styles.

In 2017, Coopers released the low-ABV Session Ale (now known as Pacific Pale Ale); in 2019 came the XPA; and then last year, the brewery jumped on the haze train and brought to market a limited-edition Hazy IPA.

Tim says they decided to follow this up with the Australian IPA because “we saw demand for a great tasting IPA with a distinct local touch.”

“We’re very mindful about when to bring out a new beer and an enormous amount of time goes into getting it right,” he says.

“We’ve come up with a great tasting Australian IPA that will suit any occasion.”

The Australian IPA uses a blend of two Australian hops, Eclipse and Vic Secret. Together, they lend the beer citrus notes of mandarin and orange, as well as piney and passionfruit characteristics.

There are also familiar Coopers attributes to be found in the beer, which come through in the malt profile (built predominantly on the brewery’s pale malt), as well as through the brew team’s use of traditional ale-brewing and natural conditioning methods.

Like the Hazy IPA before it, the Australian IPA’s can and roundel features a multi-coloured design, distinct from the block colours of the Coopers core lineup.

The design is inspired by the Australian red desert landscape, and is intended to convey the country’s strength and resilience.

True to the style, the Coopers Australian IPA has an ABV of 6.5% and registers at 40 IBUs on the bitterness scale.

The beer will be available in kegs or in 375ml can format (four-packs or cartons) from late April.