Two months after snapping up 4 Pines, AB InBev has acquired Pirate Life.
One of Australia’s most beloved craft beer labels, its Mosaic IPA recently took out Champion Indian Pale Ale at the 2017 Craft Beer Awards. It was also voted most popular craft brewery in Beer Cartel’s 2017 Australian Craft Beer Survey.
Pirate Life co- founder, Jack Cameron, said the partnership would help the craft brewer share great quality beer with more people and focus on their brand, people and customers by providing team Pirate Life with new facilities and expertise.
“Looking back at what we set out to do when we started in 2015, we aimed ‘to be an exciting and challenging new company brewing internationally recognised beer that excites and challenges the lifestyles and palates of beer drinkers globally’ Continuing with this philosophy, our new partnership helps us take our dream to a level we could never imagine and push ourselves and our beers further,” Jack Cameron said.
Jan Craps, President of AB InBev’s Asia Pacific South Zone, said Pirate Life’s lifestyle-driven brand complements and contributes to the world’s leading brewers’ existing portfolio.
“With its focus on canned packaging that gives consumers fresh, well-crafted beers and consistent quality, Pirate Life has resonated with Australian beer drinkers who want something different.”
“Pirate Life’s brand is premised on a carefree and relaxed attitude and the ability to create great beers. This approach can only be enhanced with a new brewery, access to ingredients and shared knowledge from other AB InBev brewers in Australia and elsewhere.”
The acquisition will enable further innovation for the brewers through a capital investment in a new brewery, with Pirate Life’s current brewery in Hindmarsh becoming a site dedicated to creating new beers, including sours, seasonal and barrel-aged products.
“We have a lot to offer each other and our joint growth plans will commence immediately with a $10m investment in an exciting new South Australian brewery that will benefit the local economy and see more beer lovers live the Pirate Life,” Craps said.
Pirate Life Co-Founder and Chief Brewer, Jared ‘Red’ Proudfoot, said he looked forward to getting the new brewery built, with better equipment to further drive consistency and quality, and to having the freedom at the Hindmarsh site to get creative.
“The reality is we have run out of capacity at Hindmarsh. With this partnership we’re in a fortunate position to upgrade to a new, bigger brewery while dedicating Hindmarsh to innovate and craft a whole range of new styles to make sure we keep pushing the boundaries and evolving.”
Cameron was excited at the opportunity for the Pirate Life team around Australia to be part of a global network of brewers and the benefits it will bring to the team in terms of training, education and career development.
“We’ve always believed in and understood what brewers like AB InBev can contribute to the craft beer world with their experience, knowledge, funding and expertise in every aspect of the industry. Good beer is good beer and we believe that our beers are only going to get better.” Jack said.
“Our whole team are sticking around and it’s invaluable for all of us to be able to benefit from the knowledge and skills of some of the best brewers in the world.”
“We were recently able to visit the 10 Barrel Brewing brewpub in the US which really brought to light the value of global shared learning and their approach to hospitality venues. It’s going to be epic to work with the likes of these brewers and I’m incredibly excited that from next year Pirate Life fans will be able to enjoy our beers at our new venue.”
