The South Australian brewer, Cooper’s Brewery, has said it expects to record turnover of $A90m for the 2002-03 fiscal year, against $A81.8m in 2001-02. The boutique brewer’s turnover has been boosted by strong sales during the summer and its recently agreed alliance with the US beer giant, Budweiser.

Managing director at Cooper’s, Tim Cooper, said the positive impact of the its distribution and marketing deal with Anheuser-Busch would be seen in 2003-04. The two companies have formed a joint venture under the name of Premium Beverages, based in Melbourne, with the aim of increasing sales of both Cooper’s brands and Australian sales of A-B’s flagship brand, Budweiser.