Lyla Lindsey
Despite its Australian branding, Foster's lager has not been brewed in Australia since 2011, when the company was bought by SABMiller. Since then, Foster's has been brewed in Fort Worth, Texas, although the company has been criticised for continuing to market its product as Australian. In 2015, a New York consumer of Foster's sued the brewer on the grounds of deceptive marketing, citing advertising slogans such as 'Foster's: Australian for Beer' and 'How to Speak Australian'. However, in 2020, Carlton & United Breweries announced it would be relaunching Foster's in Australia and increasing production by 300%.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founded by | William and Ralph Foster |
| Year founded | 1887 or 1888 |
| Place founded | Melbourne, Australia |
| Founders' origin | New York, United States |
| Current owner | Heineken International (Latin America, Europe, CIS, and UK), Molson Coors (US and Canada) |
| Brewed in | Fort Worth, Texas, United States (for North America), Manchester, UK (for UK), Australia |
| ABV | 4% in Europe, Australia, and India, 4.5% in UK, 5% in the US |
| Marketing | Focuses on Australian connotations, e.g., kangaroos, exaggerated accents, and cork hats |
| Slogans | "Foster's Australian for Beer", "How to Speak Australian", "The Amber Nectar", "Get some Australian in you" |
| Sales | Largest-selling Australian beer brand in the world, but not very popular in Australia |
| Production | Increased by 300% in Australia in 2020 |
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What You'll Learn
Foster's is brewed in Texas, USA, not Australia
Fosters is a brand of lager that is often associated with Australia due to its branding and marketing, which often feature stereotypical Australian imagery such as kangaroos, exaggerated Australian accents, and cork hats. The brand has spent the last thirty years promoting itself as quintessentially Australian. However, despite its Australian origins and image, Fosters has been brewed in Fort Worth, Texas since 2011.
Fosters was originally created by two Irish-American brothers, William M. and Ralph Foster, who arrived in Melbourne from New York in 1886. The brothers began brewing Fosters Lager in 1888, and it was made available to the public in February 1889. The product was first exported in 1901, when bottles were sent to Australian combatants in the Boer War. In 1907, the company merged with five other brewing companies to form Carlton & United Breweries (CUB). Fosters Lager was first imported into the UK in 1971 and was launched in the US in 1972.
In 2011, Fosters was acquired by the international SABMiller group, which operates in the United States under MillerCoors, a joint venture with Molson Coors. SABMiller made the decision to move North American production of Fosters to Fort Worth, Texas, where it has been brewed ever since. While the specific Fosters website is not transparent about the beer being brewed in Texas, the Texas location is mentioned in the copyright logo at the bottom of the page. Additionally, the fine print on North American Fosters cans does indicate that the beer is brewed in Texas.
The fact that Fosters is brewed in Texas, rather than Australia, became the subject of a class-action lawsuit in 2015. A New York City man sued MillerCoors for deceptive marketing, claiming that Fosters' advertisements, which promoted the beer as "Australian for Beer" and taught consumers "How to Speak Australian", gave the false impression that the beer was brewed in Australia. The plaintiff argued that the beer's Australian image allowed it to be sold at a higher, premium price. While Fosters is no longer brewed in Australia, the brand did make a comeback in the Australian market in 2020, with Carlton & United Breweries increasing production by 300% over the summer.
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The beer is marketed as Australian
Foster's Lager is marketed as Australian, using slogans such as "Foster's: Australian for Beer", "How to Speak Australian", and "Get some Australian in you". The brand has spent the last thirty years "shamelessly wrapping itself in the Australian flag". Its advertising often focuses on Australian connotations, such as kangaroos, exaggerated accents, and cork hats.
However, Foster's has been brewed in Fort Worth, Texas, since 2011, when the Australian brand was bought by SABMiller, an international group that operates in the US as MillerCoors. The beer's Australian origins are only hinted at on the MillerCoors website, which states that it is brewed "under the close supervision of Foster's Australia". The brand's website describes it as the largest-selling Australian beer brand in the world, but does not mention that it is brewed in Texas.
In 2015, a New York City man filed a class-action lawsuit against MillerCoors for misleading him into believing that Foster's was made in Australia. The plaintiff, Leif Nelson, claimed that the advertising slogans and imagery gave a false impression of the beer being brewed in Australia, allowing it to be sold at a higher price.
Despite the Texas brewing location, Foster's has an Australian heritage. It was founded in Melbourne by two American brothers, William and Ralph Foster, in 1887 or 1888, before they returned to the US. The brand was first exported in 1901 and was launched in the US in 1972, where it gained a following. In 2014, the brand enjoyed renewed success in Australia, with a "relaunch" announced in 2020, increasing production by 300%.
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The brand was created by two American brothers in Melbourne, Australia
The brand was created by two Irish-American brothers, William M. and Ralph Foster, who arrived in Melbourne from New York in 1886. The brothers began brewing Foster’s Lager in November 1888, and it was made available to the public from February 1889. The product was first exported in 1901, when bottles were sent to Australian combatants in the Boer War. In 1907, the company merged with five other brewing companies to form Carlton & United Breweries (CUB). Then only available in bottles, Foster's Lager was considered to be CUB's premium brand.
Although Foster's is the largest-selling Australian beer brand in the world, it is not as popular in Australia compared to other beers, particularly when compared to current CUB beers such as Victoria Bitter and Carlton Draught. In fact, Foster's Lager is considered something of a joke in Australia. In 2015, it was reported that Foster's could only be found on tap in 10 bars and pubs across the country.
Foster's Lager was first imported into the UK in 1971 and was launched in the US in 1972. The brand has spent the last thirty years wrapping itself in the Australian flag, with its advertising overseas often focusing on Australian connotations, such as kangaroos, exaggerated accents, and cork hats. In 2011, Foster's was acquired by SABMiller, and the North American production was moved to Fort Worth, Texas. As a result, an angry Foster's fan in New York City sued the brewery, claiming to have been deceived about the origins of his beloved beer.
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In 2020, production was increased by 300% in Australia
Foster's Lager was first brewed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1888 by two Irish-American brothers, William M. and Ralph R. Foster, who had arrived from New York two years prior. The beer was made available to the public from February 1889 and was first exported in 1901. In 1907, the company merged with five other brewing companies to form Carlton & United Breweries (CUB).
Despite being the largest-selling Australian beer brand in the world, Foster's is not as popular in its home country. In the 1990s, it fell out of favour and by 2015, it could only be found on tap in 10 bars and pubs across Australia. However, in 2020, CUB announced a relaunch of the brand in Australia, increasing production in Melbourne by 300%. This meant that production would increase from 500,000 litres a year to just over 2.5 million litres.
The COVID-19 pandemic had led Australians to embrace nostalgia and yearn for simpler times. Hayden Turner, CUB Head of Classic brands, said: "Foster's is an iconic brand Australians know and trust so it is really no surprise drinkers have told us they want more." He added that the company was confident that Foster's could "develop a strong following like Melbourne Bitter and Reschs have done recently".
The relaunch also included a return to wide-release sales in Australian liquor stores, with renewed nostalgic brand recognition. The brand was priced competitively against rival brands, with a 30-can slab retailing at $53.
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It is the largest-selling Australian beer brand in the world
Foster's is the largest-selling Australian beer brand in the world. However, despite its Australian heritage and branding, it is not particularly popular in Australia. In fact, it is considered something of a joke in its home country. In 2015, it could only be found on tap in 10 bars and pubs across the country. Australians tend to prefer other beers, such as Carlton Draught and Victoria Bitter.
Foster's was created by two American brothers, William M. and Ralph Foster, who arrived in Melbourne from New York in 1886. The brothers began brewing Foster's Lager in November 1888, and it was made available to the public from February 1889. The product was first exported in 1901, when bottles were sent to Australian combatants in the Boer War. In 1907, the company merged with five other brewing companies to form Carlton & United Breweries (CUB).
In 1990, the brewing business – which by then also had extensive wineries in Australia and New Zealand – again took the Foster's name, though by that time the lager brand had essentially become a British phenomenon. Little more than 100 million pints of Foster's lager are drunk in Australia each year. In the UK, Foster's is produced by Heineken at the Royal Brewery in Manchester.
Foster's has been brewed in Fort Worth, Texas since 2011 when the Australian brand was bought by the international SABMiller group. SABMiller operates in the United States under MillerCoors, a joint venture with Molson Coors. The Texas brewery imports its yeast from Australia to recreate the flavour of the genuine article and employs an Australian brewmaster to oversee the process. Despite this, a New York City man filed a lawsuit against MillerCoors in 2015 for misleading him into believing that Foster's was made in Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Foster's is not made in Australia. Despite its Australian branding, the beer has been brewed in Fort Worth, Texas since 2011, when the Australian brand was bought by SABMiller.
Foster's was originally made in Melbourne, Australia by two American brothers, William and Ralph Foster, in 1887. The company was then sold and, in 1907, it was merged with five other brewing companies to form Carlton & United Breweries (CUB). In 1990, the brewing business took back the name 'Foster's', but by this time, the lager brand had become a British phenomenon.
Yes, Foster's is available in Australia. In 2014, the brand enjoyed some renewed success in the Australian market, and in 2020, CUB announced that it would "relaunch" the brand in Australia, boosting local production by 300%.
