By Annette Shailer
The Foster’s Group is set to release a limited-edition luxury lager, the Crown Ambassador Reserve, to be available in selected restaurants and bars, and retailing for between $55 and $60 per 750ml bottle.
The vintage lager will mark the anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s II’s Coronation on June 2, with a nationwide release scheduled for June 30.
Only 5000 of the 750ml individually numbered bottles will be manufactured, with the first bottle being sent to the Queen.
The wax-sealed, champagne style bottles suit the deep amber brew, which once poured is carbonated and capped with a creamy head derived from in-bottle fermentation.
The brew can only be made once yearly when the Galaxy Hops are green with a ‘fruit salad’ flavour, which are then handpicked by master brewer John Cozens.
“Potentially every bottle can be different as it keeps evolving in the bottle,” Cozens said. “We are extremely passionate about the brewing process and there are numerous special touches that set Crown Ambassador Reserve apart.”
The beer should be served between 7 and 11 degrees in a Shiraz wine glass to open-up the complex aromas and flavours, and at 9.2 per cent ABV, is not a session beer.