Coopers orders 7,000 extra kegs as South Australian pub demand grows
The family brewer posted a $23.9 million profit and wants the draught beer tax freeze extended to packaged beer.
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Family-owned South Australian brewer Coopers has ordered 7,000 extra kegs to meet rising demand from pubs and other venues, InDaily reported on 9 November. For the hospitality trade, the order is a read on how many patrons are heading back to hotels and bars.
Why it matters
Keg sales rose 7.4 per cent in the 12 months to 30 June 2026, approaching pre-Covid levels, InDaily reported. Managing director Michael Shearer, the company’s first non-family boss, said the company wants to grow in-venue sales as consumers return to hotels. He credited a two-year freeze on draught beer tax with encouraging patrons back to pubs. He called the market “stable at best”.
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Shearer wants the freeze extended to packaged beer, which has twice-yearly, CPI-based excise increases. He proposed capping increases at about 2.5 per cent, with a single annual rise.
The numbers
- Profit for the 2026 financial year: $23.9 million, up from $22.5 million.
- Keg sales: up 7.4 per cent.
- Total sales: up 2.4 per cent.
- Packaged beer: 87 per cent of sales by volume.
- South Australian sales growth: 3.2 per cent, driven mainly by lager.
What’s next
Three in four Coopers beers are now sold outside South Australia. Queensland is the fastest-growing market and is now the company’s third-largest, at 18 per cent of volume. Coopers holds about 6 per cent of the national beer market, according to Shearer.
The zero-alcohol Coopers Zero, launched in August 2025, sold 400,000 litres in the last financial year. Whether the draught tax freeze is extended, and whether packaged beer gets similar relief, is a policy question the company has raised but that InDaily does not report as decided.
Quick answers
What is the latest on Coopers Brewery?
The family brewer posted a $23.9 million profit and wants the draught beer tax freeze extended to packaged beer.
What are the key numbers in this story?
extra kegs ordered: 7,000; keg sales growth: 7.4%; FY2026 profit: $23.9m.
Where does this information come from?
This story cites InDaily. Every source is linked on the page.
Sources
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Filed by the AusDev Adelaide Desk. How we report.