This is an old revision of this page, as edited by IronGargoyle (talk | contribs) at 20:44, 24 February 2014 (→Microbreweries: remove unreferenced redlinks). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 20:44, 24 February 2014 by IronGargoyle (talk | contribs) (→Microbreweries: remove unreferenced redlinks)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Beer production in Australia is traditionally dominated by a few major brewing companies, Carlton & United Breweries, Lion Nathan and Coopers Brewery. CUB, since December 2011, is a subsidiary of British multinational SABMiller (the second largest international brewing company). Lion Nathan, since October 2009, is a subsidiary of Japanese brewer, Kirin Holdings Company Limited (the ninth largest international brewing company in the world). These two companies account for 89% of beer volume sales in 2011, with CUB's market share at 48% (declining from a 55% market share in 2006) and Lion Nathan at 41% (increasing from 37%). Coopers is the largest Australian owned brewing company, with a market share of about 4% of total beer volume sales in Australia.
In May 2012 the dominant Australian produced beers were XXXX Gold, which accounted for 12.4% of all beer consumed in Australia, VB, with 12.3%, Carlton Draught 9.3%, Tooheys New 7.1%, Tooheys Extra Dry 4.4% and Carlton Mid 3.8%.
Beer consumption has steadily declined over twenty years, while wine consumption has increased. The Federal Government maintains a heavy tax on beer since it is produced by "faceless" corporations. Wine is produced by local "farmers" and is thus exempt from the tax. A 9 litre carton of 4.5% ABV beer is typically available for $45AUD, while a 5 litre wine cask, of 12% ABV, may be bought for less than $12AUD.
Major breweries
Microbreweries
A microbrewery, or craft brewery, is a modern brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, usually with an orientation toward distinctive and flavorful products. The maximum amount of beer a brewery can produce and still be classed as a microbrewery varies by region and by authority, though is usually around 15,000 barrels (18,000 hectolitres/ 475,000 US gallons) a year.
The following is a list of notable microbreweries in Australia, listed alphabetically.
| Name | Location | Established | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetongue Brewery | Warnervale, New South Wales | 2003 | Producers of Bluetongue and Bondi Blonde beer brands. In 2007 the brewer was sold to Pacific Beverages, which is now a subsidiary of SABMiller |
| Bootleg Brewery | Margaret River, Western Australia | 1994 | |
| Broo Brewery | Mornington Peninsula, Victoria | 2009 | Producers of Broo Premium Lager and Australia Draught - marketed as 100% Australian owned and manufactured |
| Burleigh Brewing Company | Burleigh Heads, Queensland | 2006 | |
| Colonial Brewing Company | Margaret River, Western Australia | 2004 | Winner of the 'Champion Small Brewery' at the 2006 and the 'Champion International Small Brewery' and 'Champion Australasian Brewery' at the 2007 Australian International Beer Awards |
| Copper Coast Wines | Moonta Bay, South Australia | 2005 | Maker of Swanky Beer—exclusive supplier to the Copper Coast Kernewek Loewender Cornish Festival |
| Feral Brewing Company | Baskerville, Western Australia | 2005 | 2009 'Grand Champion' and 2012 'Champion Large Australian Brewery' at the Australian International Beer Awards
Distributed nationally through Dan Murphy's |
| Gage Roads Brewing Company | Palmyra, Western Australia | 2005 | One of Australia's largest independently owned craft breweries, although in 2009 Woolworths Limited acquired a 25% stake in the company. |
| Holgate Brewhouse | Woodend, Victoria | 2002 | |
| Little Creatures Brewery | Fremantle, Western Australia & Geelong, Victoria | 2000 | The brewery owned by Little World Beverages, a subsidiary of Lion Nathan, which is a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings Company Limited.
Winner of 'Champion Australasian Brewery' at the 2006 Australian International Beer Awards |
| Lobethal Bierhaus | Lobethal, South Australia | 2007 | |
| Malt Shovel Brewery | Sydney, New South Wales | 1998 | Owned and operated by Lion Nathan |
| Matilda Bay Brewing Company | Port Melbourne, Victoria | 1984 | In 1990 was purchased by CUB, which is now a subsidiary of British multinational SABMiller.
'Grand Champion' and 'Champion Large Brewery' at the 2008 Australian International Beer Award |
| Moo Brew | Hobart, Tasmania | 2005 | Located at the site of the Museum of Old and New Art |
| Mountain Goat Beer | Richmond, Victoria | 1996 | |
| Nail Brewing | Bassendean, Western Australia | 2000 | Producer of the world's most expensive beer. |
| Skinny Blonde | Sydney, New South Wales | 2009 | Controversial label |
| St Arnou | Sydney, New South Wales | 2001 |
References
- Bryant, Robert (25 May 2011). "Brewing up a storm". IBISWorld. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- Wilson, Neil (27 January 2012). "Fight is brewing between the Boutique Beer Brigade and CUB's and Lion". Herald Sun. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- "Coopers to become Australia's largest brewer". Cooper's press releases. 22 September 2011. pdf
- Gibson, Roy (10 December 2011). "Lager louts are out in this ale nation" (PDF). The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- Greenblat, Eli (30 May 2012). "VB:the second best cold beer". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 March 2013.