While the minimum age to enjoy a cold beer in the U.S. is typically 21, this Australian brewery is taking age restrictions up a notch.
The Lord Nelson Brewery in Sydney says its new Three Sheets Pale Ale is only for customers over 35, according to The Drinks Business. The watering hole and brewery, located in the historic Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel, is known for its “old-world feel” and status as the city’s oldest continually-licensed hotel.
Three Sheets Pale Ale is a 4.9 percent ABV brew, produced with American hops and a small amount of British malt. It’s available at the downtown brewery in Sydney’s Rocks neighborhood, as well as other alcohol retailers and bars in Australia.
This guideline was established so that only those who were alive when Lord Nelson’s original beer was created can enjoy the new pale ale, per the managing director Blair Hayden. (It’s worth noting that the legal drinking age is 18 in Australia.) The controversial move, Hayden says, was enforced as a “protective measure” against flashy drinks trends.
“For over 30 years we’ve focused on creating quality beers that are refined and well-balanced. Three Sheets Pale Ale remains our flagship brew and is testament to being true to ourselves and not following trends and ‘in’ styles” Hayden states, according to The Drinks Business. “Until the young ones cut their weird drinking habits out, it’ll be reserved for the over 35s”.
Hayden notes a trend of younger people sipping brewskis out of shoes — dubbed “doing a shoey.” It’s become a common celebration after athletic events and music performances in Australia — and one that’s so popular even international celebrities Harry Styles and Post Malone have partaken.
There’s no word on how strictly the brewery will enforce the age minimum on enjoying Three Sheets Pale Ales.
