A beloved Adelaide pub at the heart of the city’s live music culture is facing the risk of demolition, and family-owned South Australian brewery Coopers is getting behind the campaign to Save The Cranker.
Under a new development plan which would repurpose the site as short-term student accommodation, The Crown and Anchor Hotel, affectionately known as The Cranker, would be demolished, leaving only the heritage-listed façade behind.
Since the announcement, locals have rallied together to protect the structure and cultural significance of the 171-year-old pub, launching the Save The Cranker campaign. Community activation has played a big part in the campaign, including rallies, radio announcements and pop-up events.
Patrick Maher, Strategy Director for the campaign, says: “For over 170 years, the Cranker has been a public house in the truest sense of the word; a vibrant hub of local social activity that has always grown to meet the needs of the community of the day.
“In recent decades, it has served as a welcoming home and central hub of the Adelaide live music scene – live performance seven days a week. The campaign community is at least 26,000 people strong – about as many as a typical state electoral districts – and all of them have a personal connection to The Crown and Anchor.
“It is a core component of the Adelaide cultural fabric and its loss will be a terminal blow for the ongoing viability of the East End as a cultural precinct, and the viability of the Adelaide local live performance circuit.”
Now, Coopers Brewery is showing its support by putting a new brew on tap at the venue, a crisp golden brew named Save The Cranker, available exclusively on draught at the historic pub.
Like many good things, the idea to produce a dedicated beer came up over a chat and a pint. The result is a high quality, crisp golden lager which Coopers describes as “great tasting, great value and full of flavour.”
In a statement about the special release, Coopers said: “The Cranker holds a significant place in South Australia’s rich hospitality and live music history.
“Not only is The Cranker a well-run local pub, but it’s an iconic gathering place at a time when our state has lost many live music and hospitality venues.
“Coopers Brewery has long supported live music and local pubs. Authentic local venues like the Cranker are the lifeblood of the hospitality and live music industries both here and right across Australia.
“We believe The Cranker is a unique venue and would be a great loss for its patrons, musicians and the wider community. We have provided a great tasting lager beer which Tom and The Cranker team are serving in support of the Save the Cranker campaign,” the statement concluded.
According to Maher, the campaign’s Heritage Research Branch has uncovered information about the history of house-branded drinks in Adelaide, indicating a long-standing relationship between Coopers and The Cranker.
“The publican, Tom Skipper, clearly took that to heart. Together, they’ve come up with the Save The Cranker Draught. It’s quite an honour to have an on-tap beer named in support of the campaign.
“This is a reflection of the massive community interest, and it’s great that Coopers are contributing to the campaign in this way. Their support brings the issue to the fore of a much larger audience,” he explained.
The pub will donate proceeds from each beer sold towards the campaign, which is still fighting to preserve the pub’s history and charm.
Gathering a record 1328 public submissions on the development proposal, about 3.5 times more than the previous record, the campaign is now pending a decision about the State Heritage Place Listing, which is expected around December.
The campaign has also drafted its own policy brief, aiming to modernise the existing State Heritage definitions by proposing that protections take cultural significance into account, as opposed to just physical significance.
“In the meantime, we are ramping up pressure on the state government to amend the heritage and planning system so this can never happen again,” added Maher.
“What’s the point of having a heritage system if an international development can swoop in and knock down whatever they want? The existing legislation and policy is clearly not fit for purpose and doesn’t reflect values or priorities of the Adelaide community.”
Coopers’ annual Vintage Ale returns
Coopers backing of this campaign marks just one of two recent releases for the brewery, having also announced the launch of its annual extra strong brew, the 2024 Vintage Ale.
The Vintage Ale is one of Coopers’ most anticipated beer releases, and the 2024 iteration of the extra-strong ale, which marks the 24th year of the release, has an IBU of 65 and an ABV of 7.5 per cent.
This year, with a tropical twist, the special brew uses unique hop varieties such as German variety Solero and new American hop Bru-1, offering a blend of pineapple, mango and passionfruit aromas, and herbal and citrus notes.
Tasting notes describe berry, spice and melon characters on the palate, with moderate bitterness and a lingering finish.
Dr Tim Cooper, Coopers Managing Director and Chief Brewer, says the 2024 Vintage Ale maintains the vintage heritage and complexity of the beer, putting emphasis on its unique hop selection.
“The hops pairing creates an intriguing balance of tropical fruit and herbal notes while maintaining a pleasant level of bitterness on the palate.
“We know that exclusive seasonal brews are a real hit with Australian drinkers, and we expect this year’s Vintage release will be no exception.
“The flavour and aromas of Coopers Vintage Ale are accentuated by rolling the bottle gently before opening and gently pouring into a stemmed beer glass. It is best savoured with rich foods and perfect for the cooler months.
“While it’s perfect to drink right away, Vintage Ale can also be stored under cellar conditions to bring its robust, malty characters to the forefront.
“Coopers 2024 Vintage Ale has been released in limited quantities and is traditionally highly sought after, so fans should get in early to avoid missing out,” he added.