Little Creatures is set to open its first overseas venue in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong, Lion Global Markets told the market on Tuesday. On-site will be a restaurant and bar with capacity of 140 people, as well as a small micro-brewery, showcasing the full range of Little Creatures and White Rabbit Beers.

The venue, to take the same name as the beer brand, is expected to open later this year and will take advantage of the growing interest in quality Australian produce and fast-developing craft beer scene in Asia. Lion Global Markets was launched in August last year specifically to tap in to the market and expand Lion’s beers, ciders and wines in Asia, North America and the Pacific.

Matt Tapper who is leading Lion Global Markets said, “This is an excellent time to increase our investment and focus overseas. Australasian provenance is key. Consumers in Asia are looking for quality products with genuine credentials and we offer a portfolio of high quality products with great heritage and authenticity.

“The Australian dollar has structurally declined, free trade arrangements are improving access to international markets and an Asian middle class is emerging with an appetite to try new things.

“There is already a nascent craft beer scene in China and Hong Kong, but we think the Little Creatures hospitality team can bring something different to the region. As more people experience Little Creatures, we’ll look to achieve distribution in other venues.”

Little Creatures has been around since 2001, first launched with Little Creatures Pale Ale. The beers are brewed in Fremantle and Geelong and have become well stocked across the nation in bottle shops and on-premise venues. Little Creatures beers today include Bright Ale, Original Pilsner, Rogers Beer and IPA.

From Little Creatures the White Rabbit Brewery was also born. Located in Geelong, White Rabbit Brewery uses the original brew kit from Little Creatures and is also managed by Lion. White Rabbit offers a range of ales made using old-world techniques and new world thinking.