SYDNEY, Australia – Kelly’s On King, a renowned “Irish Australian” pub, is taking a firm stance against corporate and multinational craft beers, advocating instead for Australian-made brews.
Earlier this year, the pub’s owners voiced their position on Instagram, questioning the absence of brands like Balter, 4 Pines, Pirate Life, and Stone & Wood—all acquired by the Japanese company Asahi Breweries. “In 2024, we decided not to renew our corporate brewery agreements that include tap percentage commitments, in favor of supporting some of the many great Australian independent breweries,” the post stated.
The decision, made “out of concern for the future of brewing in Australia,” comes in response to the acquisitions of Carlton & United Breweries and Lion Nathan by Japanese companies. Kelly’s On King highlighted that Asahi Breweries now controls “about 80 to 85 percent” of the local brewing market, leading to significant profit margins and higher keg costs compared to independent equivalents. The pub’s owners also criticized the practice of “venue rebates,” which incentivize pubs to allocate most of their tap space to corporate brands, marginalizing smaller breweries.
Despite this stance, Kelly’s On King continues to offer popular beers such as VB, Reschs, Carlton Draught, Tooheys, Kilkenny, and Guinness. However, they will no longer stock corporate craft beers. “We just want to share the love, so we won’t be ranging the corporate ‘crafts’ anymore,” the post concluded.
