Who Owns Tooheys? Exploring Australian Beer Ownership

is tooheys australian owned

Tooheys is an Australian brewery that was founded in 1869 by Irish immigrant John Thomas Toohey and his brother James Matthew Toohey. The brewery is located in Lidcombe, Sydney, and produces beer under the Tooheys and Hahn Brewery trademarks. While Tooheys was previously owned by Castlemaine Tooheys and Lion Nathan, it is now ultimately owned by the Japanese company Kirin Holdings, which acquired Lion in 2009.

Characteristics Values
Current owner Lion, a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings
Previous owner Lion Nathan
Previous owner before Lion Nathan Castlemaine Tooheys
Year of acquisition by Kirin 2009
Nationality of Kirin Japanese

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Tooheys Brewery is in Lidcombe, Sydney, Australia

By 1875, the brothers had outgrown their original brewery and moved to the Standard Brewery in Surry Hills. In 1902, the company went public as Tooheys Limited, and they began brewing lager in 1930. In the 1970s, the brewery moved again, this time to a new location in Lidcombe.

Today, Tooheys Brewery is part of the Lion beverages group, which was acquired by the Japanese Kirin Company in 2009. The brewery produces beer under the Tooheys and Hahn Brewery trademarks, including popular beers such as Tooheys New, Tooheys Old, and Tooheys Extra Dry. Tooheys has a strong association with rugby league in Australia and is a major sponsor of the sport.

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Tooheys is owned by Lion

Tooheys is a brewery in the suburb of Lidcombe, in Sydney, Australia. It was founded by John Thomas Toohey, an Irish immigrant to Melbourne, in 1869. John and his brother James Matthew ran pubs in Melbourne before moving to Sydney in the 1860s and obtaining a brewing licence. In 1902, the company went public as Tooheys Limited.

Tooheys is part of the Lion beverages group, which was acquired by the Japanese Kirin Company in 2009. Lion Nathan, as it was formerly known, acquired a 50% stake in Bond's Natbrew Holdings in 1990 and took total ownership in 1992.

Lion is a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings, which owns several other Australian beers, including Emu Export, Swan, and James Squire.

Products sold under the Tooheys trademark are brewed at the Tooheys Brewery, and home-brew kits are distributed by Lion and produced at Canterbury Brewery.

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Lion is a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings

Tooheys is a brewery in the suburb of Lidcombe, in Sydney, Australia. It produces beer under the Tooheys and Hahn Brewery trademarks and is part of the Lion beverages group.

Lion is an alcoholic beverage company that operates in Australia and New Zealand. It produces and markets a range of beer and cider in Australia and wine in New Zealand and the United States. Lion acts as a distributor for a range of spirits in New Zealand.

Lion was formed in October 2009 under the name Lion Nathan National Foods when Kirin Holdings Company Limited purchased brewer Lion Nathan and merged the business with National Foods, which it had owned since 2007. In 2011, the company changed its name to Lion, one company with three businesses: Lion Beer, Spirits, and Wine Australia; Lion, Beer, Spirits and Wine NZ; with National Foods becoming a Melbourne-based subsidiary called Lion Dairy & Drinks.

Prior to the acquisition of Lion Nathan in 1993, the South Australian Brewing Company split its brewing assets into "SA Brewing Holdings". Its diversified operations were formed into a new listed company named Southcorp.

In 1998, Douglas Myers sold most of his 16% share in Lion Nathan to Kirin Brewery Company of Japan. Since 1998, Kirin Holdings Company has worked together with Lion Nathan Limited in promoting Kirin Group's comprehensive beverages strategy in Oceania. In 2009, Kirin Holdings Company reached an agreement with Lion Nathan Limited to acquire all the remaining shares in Lion Nathan, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary.

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Kirin Holdings is a Japanese company

Tooheys is a brewery in the suburb of Lidcombe, in Sydney, Australia. It produces beer under the Tooheys and Hahn Brewery trademarks and is part of the Lion beverages group, which was acquired by the Japanese company Kirin in 2009.

Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is indeed a Japanese company, with its headquarters in Tokyo. The company produces beer, soft drinks, food products, whisky, and pharmaceuticals. Kirin Holdings has a wide range of business interests, including brewing, hard liquor, wine, soft drinks, and food products. The company also has stakes in overseas companies, including in China, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United States.

In 2011, Kirin Holdings made its biggest acquisition by purchasing a majority stake in the Brazilian beer company, Schincariol Participacoes e Representacoes, for $2.6 billion. The company was renamed Brasil Kirin in 2012. In 2018, Kirin Holdings expanded into wellness and bio-chemical products by acquiring a 95% stake in Kyowa Hakko Bio Co. Ltd.

Kirin Holdings is committed to sustainable growth and creating value for society. The company has guiding principles aimed at enhancing group management, contributing to healthcare, developing communities, and protecting the environment. Kirin Holdings is also committed to reducing harmful drinking and has joined leading alcohol producers in this effort.

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Foreign companies own many Australian beers

Australia has a rich tradition of beer culture, with a myriad of brands that have become synonymous with Aussie identity. However, many of these beloved beer labels are not as Australian as they seem, with a significant number of iconic beers owned by foreign companies. This raises questions about the authenticity of their "Aussie" roots and the implications for the country's brewing industry.

Tooheys, for example, is a well-known Australian brewery that dates back to 1869 when Irish immigrant John Thomas Toohey obtained his brewing licence in Sydney. The company went public as Tooheys Limited in 1902, and its lager, Tooheys New, has been the traditional number one beer in New South Wales. However, Tooheys is now owned by Lion, a subsidiary of the Japanese Kirin Company, which acquired it in 2009.

Other Australian beers with foreign ownership include XXXX, Hahn, Byron Bay Lager, Emu Export, and Swan, which are all part of the Lion portfolio and ultimately owned by Kirin Holdings. James Boag, a Tasmanian favourite, is owned by the Japanese brewing giant Asahi, as are Mountain Goat, Wild Yak, and Kosciusko beers. Little Creatures, an iconic Western Australian brewery, is also owned by Kirin Holdings, and James Squire, a brand associated with Australian history, is part of the Lion-Kirin portfolio.

The foreign ownership of Australian beer brands has raised concerns among consumers about the impact on local brewing traditions, identity, and the future of the Australian beer industry. It remains to be seen how this knowledge will influence consumer choices and whether there will be a renewed interest in supporting truly Australian-owned and brewed beers.

Frequently asked questions

No, Tooheys is owned by Lion, a subsidiary of the Japanese Kirin Company.

The Japanese Kirin Company acquired Lion in 2009.

Tooheys dates back to 1869 when John Thomas Toohey, an Irish immigrant to Melbourne, obtained his brewing license. He and his brother, James Matthew, ran pubs in Melbourne before moving to Sydney in the 1860s and establishing their brewery.

Beers under the Tooheys trademark include Tooheys New, Tooheys Old, Tooheys Extra Dry, and Tooheys Extra Dry Platinum.

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