Chris Shanahan: St Arnou’s draft plan of action

If you’re not a bar fly you won’t have tasted St Arnou beer. Though founded in 2001 it was available only as a draft beer until the recent launch of Premium Blonde in bottle.

It’s one of five St Arnou brews and all of them — including cellar mates, Pils, St Cloud Wheat Ale (reviewed last week) and Pale Ale – are available on tap in Canberra and around Australia.

Co-founder Matthew Beggs says the company originally brewed its own beers in Queensland and New South Wales, but now uses Damien Silk’s Australian Independent Brewers of Smeaton Grange, near Sydney.

Unlike so many smaller brewers St Arnou appears to have established wide distribution and to have survived for six years in very difficult draft market – the domain of the two big brewers, Lion Nathan and Fosters.

The launch of bottled St Arnou will bring the label to retail land and a wider audience than it currently enjoys in bars.

St Arnou Premium Blonde 330ml 6-pack $17
Managing Director Matthew Beggs says that this is the beer ‘to get people comfortable with St Arnou’. It’s the biggest selling of five in the range, a pale, crisp, easy drinking, and not-too-bitter style with a distinct clove-like note, courtesy of wheat malt. A bottled version recently joined the draft.