To The Pale We Go with Ian Kingham

TO THE PALE WE GO

OVER THE PAST TWENTY YEARS, THE RISE IN APPEAL OF PALE ALES IN AUSTRALIA, MEASURED AS A SWING IN CONSUMER PREFERENCE, IS UNPRECEDENTED, EXCEPT FOR THE POPULARISATION OF LAGER BY THE FOSTER’S BROTHERS BACK IN 1888.

Words Ian Kingham

CLASSIFICATION:

Traditionally beer the world over was commercially brewed using a top-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) that floats on the brew during fermentation, converts sugar to alcohol, and imparts flavour through the beer. For ease of understanding, ales are flavoursome top-fermented beers.

Later, a new strand of yeast (Saccharomyses Carlsbergensis) became proficient, sinking and fermenting at the bottom of the vat, converting sugar to alcohol and imparting less flavour. This yeast was well utilised for providing lower flavoured beers with higher refreshment cues. For ease of understanding, lagers and pilseners are refreshing bottom-fermented beers.

STYLES:

Pale Ales are ales identified by their pale colour derived from malt, historically linked to the pale malts of the English midlands. Today pale ales remain synonymous with colour and the use of pale malt; however, variations in the amount of malt and hops and the regions from which these are sourced does provide broader style variety and to navigate these changes from the base style requires a dictionary in its own right.

Of the many globally recognised styles, of which traditional English style Pale Ale is one, there are now many variations including Extra Pale Ales (XPA) lighter in colour and often different hops added for variety, American Pale Ales (APA) with higher additions of hops for intensifying hop character, Australian Pale Ales which utilise additions of Australian ingredients for flavour and aromatic variety (first commercialised by Coopers) and then a variety of derivations including Imperial, Double or Triple Pale Ales which, as the name suggests, have much higher use of malt and hops to impart even more flavour.

It is important to note that variety in Pale Ales is often not clear on the labels, so consumers should take time to read the descriptors before purchasing, and brewers and retailers need to ensure they work hard to ensure clearer messaging when they sell. It is also worth noting that some pale ales are filtered, and some are not, this plays more to visual effect than it does to flavour. Pales ales pasteurised can be less flavoursome than unpasteurised as a result of the heat treatment, but a good pasteurised beer beats a bad unpasteurised beer every day. Fortunately bad beer won’t kill you, just waste your money. Pale Ales are best-consumed fresh, unpasteurised beers within four months and must remain refrigerated, pasteurised beers within nine months are desirable. Beer hates light and heat; so canned product is desirable if you want to enjoy the beer the way the brewer intended.

SO WHY HAVE PALE ALES POPULARITY GROWN?

1) Availability:- Coopers ales have been available for over one hundred and fifty years, predominantly in South Australia.

Still, the introduction of targeted distributions and wider-ranging across

Australia, with quirky advertising and designated sales teams, reached a new audience. A youthful audience looking to drink something new and different, so the foray into nationalising the brand was the first step in the acceptance of pale ale, with many consumers adding Australian

Pale Ale to their repertoire.

2) Commercialisation: - Craft Breweries were looking for a viable alternative to the mass-produced, competitive landscape of lager. Pale Ales are a good choice for Craft brewers as they still provide refreshment as well as allowing the brewer to put some personality and variation in the style, without being too overwhelming for untrained palates. As craft brewers grew in number and spread across locations, consumers could choose variety and experience something different. Pale

Ales were the most approachable beer in many cases, especially for breweries avoiding lager production.

3) Consumerisation: - Travel across the world has never been as affordable or as customary as it has been in recent years, so adventurers returning home, would have experienced a much wider range of

beers abroad, and as we have seen with coffee, cheeses, meats, and now spirits, experiences and choices are important to mature consumers. Demand feeds production, and production was happy to feed demand.

4) Affordability:- Wider audience appeal, increased volumes, and greater competition has lead to pale ales entering the mainstream market. This has caused price deflation, and the affordability puts them close to par with lagers. For consumers choosing to drink less but enjoy more flavour, or to find something that can complement meals, the affordability of Pale Ales is attractive.

SO WHAT’S NEXT?

While a change in season often causes fluctuations in drinking choices, broader consumer trends ultimately determine sales. Below are some styles and reasons why I believe these will be the next key consumer preferences, noting that Pale Ale is a broad category, and is a trend that will remain for some time longer before it plateaus to a relevant market share.

1) Summer Ales / Kolsch will increase, as this is a style of pale ale, which is ultimately dumbed down to provide more refreshment and less flavour, simply put, a pale ale trying to be a lager. An excellent beer for those venturing out and not wanting to get too far from lager, and as the season warms a refreshing alternative for ale drinkers.

2) Pacific Ales will continue to grow, first developed in Australia by Stone and

Wood; Pacific ales are made with higher levels of aromatic hops and less bittering hops, making a fruity/herbally easydrinking style. The strength of brands such as Balter, and Wild Yak are also testament to this growth.

3) Pilseners are hopped lagers and offer variety, flavour and refreshment. This clean drinking style was a must to avoid for craft brewers, but as their skill and desire to supply easy drinking beers grows, the emergence of more pilsener varieties is evident. There is also a much greater variety in hops from Australia,

England, New Zealand and the US that allows brewers to create their own interpretations and variations.

4) Fruit beers are already emerging, as lager varieties, sours (lactic fermented), and blends (Hazy’s/NEIPA’s). Regardless, the addition of fruit to beer is a way of increasing interest, and many fruits, such as citrus varieties, help to enhance refreshment without detracting from flavour.

Finally, the prevailing trend of buying locally and supporting freshness are overarching themes for beer purchasing, especially in this COVID world. The risk that beers will face is that the spirit market is hot on its heels with greater craft, variety, and sessionability than ever before. Aperol spritz was the start, and gin cocktails, seltzers, and flavoursome refreshing drinks are not limited to beer.