Western Australian craft brewers continue to make a splash, with Matso's Broome Brewery ramping up east coast expansion plans and Colonial Brewing Co unveiling an Australian first – an innovative 360 degree lid for its cans.
Matso’s said it had partnered with a range of venues in Sydney and Melbourne to promote its brews on the east coast, with the marketing campaign largely driven by increased demand for its ginger and mango beers.
The full range of Matso's beers will be made available at bars including Manly’s Yardarm Taphouse, KB Hotel in Surry Hills, Union Hotel and Lomond in Burnwick. Transport in Melbourne and Cherry Tree in Richmond, among others, beginning this month.
The pubs will also run a series of Broome-focused events to promote the beers in April and May.
Matso’s sales and marketing director Justin Wiebrecht said Matso’s objective had always been to create beers that reflected the identity of the Kimberley region.
Matso’s produced 230,000 cases of beer in 2014, producing 10 different brews, including the mango and ginger beers, as well as a chilli beer, a pale ale, dark lager and a lychee beer.
“As a business and a brand, we are now at the point that we can offer and promote our unique products to a greater audience than Western Australia,” Mr Wiebrecht said.
Meanwhile, Colonial Brewing Co has rolled out 360 degree lids on its cans of Small Ale, designed to enhance the experience of drinking straight from the can.
The lid, which was first used by Pennsylvania’s Sly Fox Brewery in 2013, works like a normal can – except the entire top is removed when the ring is pulled.
Colonial Brewing Co head brewer Justin Fox said the new cans were akin to drinking from a glass, allowing a drinker to experience more fully the flavours and aromas of the beer.
The Small Ale is a 3.5 per cent brew that remains big on taste despite the lower alcohol content.
“We didn’t create this beer so you’d look better at the bar,” Mr Fox said.
“We didn’t think up this beer in the boardroom after looking at leveraged growth opportunities; we don’t even have a boardroom.
“It’s just a couple of brewers and some people with a love for what they do who tend to zig when others zag.”
Cans and cartons of Colonial’s Small Ale are available at the brewery in Margaret River, as well as 18 venues in Perth, including The Raffles Hotel, Print Hall, the Fremantle Doctor, Bar 399 and The Royal on the Waterfront.
