# Who The Hell Are Independent Breweries?



## Bribie G (18/8/11)

Yes I know they do Haagen, but apparently they have got the contract to make Baltika. I was in an Indian Restaurant last night and had a Kingfisher, which I quite like - then saw Independent Breweries VIC in tiny print. They actually make a fair sort of fist of the brew so they can produce decent stuff if they want.
However no website, no publicity, no "contact us" button.... 

Are they trying to become the biggest brewery you've never heard of?


----------



## Northside Novice (18/8/11)

http://www.independentdistillers.com/id/in...9&Itemid=72


----------



## Charst (18/8/11)

f*ck me they have cruiser hummingbird in their beer section. I thought this mob were the ones knocking out all the Brewed under licence Stella Etc. for Victoria but no mention on website


----------



## Salt (19/8/11)

My understanding; Independent breweries started out in NZ I think in the 90s by a bloke called Michael Erceg and started the drive in NZ for Ready to Drink alco pop drinks, with the Cruiser and Woodstock ranges being their biggest here... Flooded the market with such drinks, which caused our two major breweries Lion Nathan and DB to start making their own RTDs.

They also started to brew/import/make under licence a lot of other beers, such as Haargen etc.

Im not entirely sure of their background in Aus, but im pretty sure it'll be much the same.

In NZ Stella is brewed under licence in Auckland by Lion Nathan Breweries...the big name beers seem to be covered by the two big breweries in NZ, and Independent made up the bottom-mid end of the market.


----------



## Pennywise (19/8/11)

Not on their site but I was sure they to the Endevour beers as well


----------



## Bribie G (19/8/11)

Aha, the "distillers" bit threw me off.


----------



## chunckious (19/8/11)

Pennywise said:


> Not on their site but I was sure they to the Endevour beers as well



Are the Endeavour's worth trying?


----------



## big78sam (19/8/11)

Chunkious said:


> Are the Endeavour's worth trying?



I'm tried the endeavour amber ale and really liked it (IIRC, I bought a stack of different beers one day and tried them all so hopefully I'm remembering correctly). The POR works really well in this one.


----------



## barls (19/8/11)

endeavour is made at AIB atm. the new batch is pretty tasty but i dont know when they will realise it.


----------



## kjparker (19/8/11)

On my recent trip to NZ, I sampled some of their beers, they have a brewery near Napier on the north Island.

They were a little on the pricey , but tasty....


----------



## Pennywise (19/8/11)

Chunkious said:


> Are the Endeavour's worth trying?



I think they are, they do have some serious consistency issues though, the Amber Ale would be the most consisten out of the two, the Pale Ale is either ok, or bloody fantastic when they remember to add the Galaxy


----------



## KillerRx4 (19/8/11)

barls said:


> endeavour is made at AIB atm.


I dunno about that statement. :huh: 



> the new batch is pretty tasty but i dont know when they will realise it.



Have to agree the beers are worth trying though.


----------



## DJR (19/8/11)

KillerRx4 said:


> I dunno about that statement. :huh:



I'd believe Barls


----------



## barls (19/8/11)

KillerRx4 said:


> I dunno about that statement. :huh:
> 
> 
> 
> Have to agree the beers are worth trying though.


lets see i packed it in 4 packs last week so provide your evidence that its made else where.


----------



## KillerRx4 (19/8/11)

Blah.

Anyhow, Who are Independent liquor? Looks like it could be owned by Asahi soon.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/asahi-makes...l#ixzz1VKeQtQie


----------



## Bribie G (19/8/11)

Sounds like the same company - Woodstock, Vodka Cruiser etc. Hasn't Coopers signed an agreement to BUL Asahi? Acquisition of IL would give Asahi a small but viable beer operation in Australia as well.


----------



## KillerRx4 (19/8/11)

Bribie G said:


> Sounds like the same company - Woodstock, Vodka Cruiser etc. Hasn't Coopers signed an agreement to BUL Asahi? Acquisition of IL would give Asahi a small but viable beer operation in Australia as well.



No. Thats Sapporo.

http://www.coopers.com.au/media/92732/coop...tract%20_2_.pdf


----------

