Speculation that Casella is to enter the Australian beer market can today be confirmed with the beginnings of a product launch. Though there is no product yet…

Instead there is The Perfect Lager Project – Casella’s quest to find what makes a perfect beer for Australians. Beer ‐loving citizens are being called to stand up and have their voice heard ‐ to tell the beer ‐makers what elements combine to make the ultimate beer ‐drinking experience. Only once this intelligence is collected will Casella make a brew.

The data-collecting device is non-other than the target consumer’s trusty iPhone. A custom-made free app can be downloaded and when the user logs in, the phone will ask their beer preferences. They will then be prompted to submit a few details such as the number of friends in company, the temperature of the beer and the type of venue or setting before they rate the total moment.

The data collected will influence the style of beer that will be available from June 2012.

Two exceptional brewers have joined the Casella business to analyse the data and create the perfect lager. Both have moved to the small town of Yenda in NSW where the Casella’s have built a state‐ of ‐the ‐art brewery at the family winery site.

Casella’s Brew Master is Andy Mitchell, fresh off the boat from South Africa where he worked for more than 30 years at South African Breweries Limited (now SABMiller), Crawford’s Microbrewery, Mitchell’s Brewery and Birkenhead Brewery. His passion for liquid gold is infectious and his commitment to quality will stand Casella in good stead.

Andy’s right ‐ hand man is Anthony Clem, who provides complementary knowledge and experience from the Australian beer market. Anthony worked at South Australian Breweries, Castlemaine Perkins (XXXX beer) and most recently, Knappstein Enterprise Brewery in the Clare Valley.

The two make a formidable team and will work closely with the leading force on The Perfect Lager Project ‐ Casella’s Senior Brand Manager for Beer, Fiona Seath. Fiona joins the Casella business from Heineken in the UK. She knows a thing or two about beer, but she wants to know more.

“Making beer is a major step for our business and we want to get it right for consumers. The only way we can guarantee that is to ask the consumers what they want and then make it. It’s a non ‐ conventional approach, but one that we have a lot of confidence in,” said Fiona.

“It’s going to be a really fun process and a rare opportunity for Aussie beer ‐lovers to be involved from the beginning to the end of the selection and creation process. The first step is to download the app and to rate your beer drinking moments,” she added.

Australian beer lovers can download the iPhone app from today and data will be collected until the end of May.

For more information about Casella’s Perfect Lager Project, visit www.theperfectlagerproject.com.