The Japanese Stag
In Australia if your beer is not made by the Fosters Group it is probably made by Lion Nathan (see full product list below), Together they control over 90% of Australian beer market either via their own Australian brands or imports they either distribute or brew under licence. The Australian Beer industry grew out of several regional breweries that still hold a bit of dominance in their respective states today. In New South they love Tooheys or Hahn, XXXX in Queensland, Swan or Emu in WA, Boags in the top of Tasmania and West End or Southwark in South Australia. Victoria has always had a love of Fosters owned Carlton or VB despite a push by Lion Nathan to penetrate the Victorian market like Fosters did with VB and Carlton across Australia in the 1990’s. Currently Lion Nathan is 46% owned by Japanese brewer Kirin and according to this News.com.au report that may soon change as Kirin has launched a takeover bid of the company putting many of the brand names of Australia’s beer industry under Japanese control. According to the article, some of Australia’s beer drinkers have vowed to switch to switch to Carlton if sale goes ahead (nobody tell them Fosters is 19% owned by Asahi). We recon if the sale forces a beer to come out of Lion Nathan’s factory that tastes like Kirin we would be happy to see the sale go ahead.
http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,25378814-462,00.html
Major Australian beer brands owned by Lion Nathan
Tooheys
* Tooheys New
* Tooheys New White Stag
* Tooheys Extra Dry
* Tooheys Extra Dry Platinum
* Tooheys Old
* Tooheys Red
* Tooheys Gold
* Tooheys Blue
* Tooheys Pils
* Tooheys Maxim
* Tooheys Blue Ice
XXXX
* XXXX Gold
* XXXX Bitter
* XXXX Special Brew
* XXXX Light
* XXXX Draught
Hahn
* Hahn Super Dry
* Hahn Premium Light
* Hahn Premium
* Hahn Pale Ale
* Hahn Ice
James Squire
* James Squire Amber Ale
* James Squire Golden Ale
* James Squire India Pale Ale
* James Squire Pilsener
* James Squire Porter
* James Squire Craft Beers
J. Boag & Son
* James Boag’s Premium
* James Boag’s Premium Light
* Boag’s Draught
* Boag’s Draught Light
* St George
* Classic Blonde
* Wizard Smiths’s Ale
* Strongarm
* XXX Ale
* Tasman Bitter
* Tasman Gold
* Hammer n Tongs
West End
* West End Draught
* West End Export
* West End Gold
* West End Light
Southwark
* Southwark Bitter
* Southwark Premium
* Southwark Stout
Swan Brewery
* Swan Draught
* Swan Stout
Emu Brewery
* Emu Bitter
* Emu Export
* Emu Draft
For wine and New Zealand brands check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Nathan
on Jun 7th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Typical Australians being tunnel vision, Seriously what does it matter, If anyone has every tasted a japanese beer they will fall in love with it, The Japs make good damn beer and if they start brewing locally there Kirin branded beers and sell it cheaper then its all for the better, Tooheys has not been the same for a long time and i dont care what anyone says New is not the draught of old.
Damn Asahi owns some of fosters didnt know that, Why arnt they brewing Asahi extra dry here, We get it imported from Thailand which tastes exactly the same as it does in japan by the way but i bought 2 stubbies the other night tasted sweeter and more malty i thought the beer could be off and when i looked at the back label it came from the UK. Why isnt this being brewed locally at a cheaper cost and sold cheaper, i resent spending almost 80 on case when its not even brewed in the country of origin. Anyway Kirin taking our beer not a big deal, The now own dairy farmers also aswell as pura milk so nsw’s milk is being run by the japs but i bet everyone still buys the milk.
on Dec 11th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Australians sell everything that is good.. thing is you can only do it once and then comes the bust. To rub salt into a wound, people like Sol are given the closing words on companies that they know nothing of, and disregard rich histories of efforts we can now only read about. Problem with the Japanese is they are only aware the Japanese do exist when it comes down to it, and whores like us are cast aside.