Cavalier Pilsner

Cavalier Brewing has marked its sixth year of operations with a complete rebrand and the launch of a new pilsner.

The new aesthetics aim to reposition the Victorian brewery as “bigger, brighter, bolder, more fun”, founder Heath Shirtcliffe told Brews News.

He said the company launched in March 2011 with “old world” theming around a knight’s head and sword, which it has long since outgrown.

The need for sharper branding had escalated with competition continuing to heat up among small breweries, Shirtcliffe said.

“I actually went into Dan Murphy’s to find my own beer and I walked up and down the aisle a couple of times and couldn’t find it,” he said.

Cavalier has simultaneously deleted its Courage Blonde Ale, which has been replaced by a new bohemian style pilsner.

The Pale Ale rebranded

Shirtcliffe said that despite Cavalier’s best efforts to convince people otherwise, ‘blonde’ is a word that Australian drinkers associate with low carb beers.

The pilsner joins the Brown Ale, Pale Ale and Imperial Stout in Cavalier’s core range, with the brown and pale both ranged in Dan Murphy’s in Victoria and NSW.

The overhaul follows substantial investments made by Cavalier on packaging quality, with the installation of a Leibinger bottling line in mid-2016.