Quaffers: Joint venture has high hopes for Yenda craft beer range

The Australian Beer Company, a joint venture between Coca-Cola Amatil and Casella Wines, launched its Yenda draft beer range in October last year and bottled versions in March 2015.

The company began its push into beer under former group managing director, Terry Davis. Releasing the company's half-year results on August 21, Davis' successor, Alison Watkins, says Yenda, is "now on target to become a top-five craft beer brand".

She says beer and cider volumes almost doubled in a year, "primarily driven by the successful launch of Yenda in packaged format in March".

At the March launch, CCA explained its optimism for the craft beer segment. It pointed to a 25 per cent growth rate in consumption of craft beer and its comparatively small share of total beer sales – 3.9 per cent, compared with more than 10 per cent in Britain and US.

Anchor Brewing Co Liberty Ale
★★★★★
355ml $4.50

First brewed in 1975 to commemorate Paul Revere's historic ride 200 years earlier, San Francisco's Liberty Ale impresses from the start with its brimming freshness and rich, creamy head. The delicate, fruity, malty palate, complete with intense but delicate and lingering hops flavour and bitterness complete a perfect ale.

Southern Bay Australian Lager
★★
330ml $4.50

The bottle, bearing a best-before date of May 2016 and bought in a Canberra retail outlet, had clearly seen better days. The head faded and died quickly, the aroma and flavour failed to show the freshness and briskness of lager and indeed tasted flabby and tired. Still drinkable if unexciting, the beer perhaps suffered from a packaging failure.