Australian brewer Capital Brewing Co. has acquired domestic peer Batlow Cider from Batlow, majority owned by Ausfarm Fresh Group, for an undisclosed sum.
Canberra-based Capital Brewing Co. said the cider maker “complements our environmental ethos” – Batlow Cider uses imperfect fruit rejected by supermarkets.
Capital Brewing Co. was founded in 2016 by Tom Hertel and Laurence Kain, who also co-founded a craft-beer bar in Canberra in 2011.
The brewery employs over 70 people and claims it is one of the largest independent craft breweries in Australia. It has a taproom in Fyshwick, Canberra, and another in Canberra airport.
Its products include a core range of ales, IPAs lagers, alcoholic ginger beer and a non-alcoholic beer, as well as special and seasonal releases. Prices range from A$46 (US$30.62) for a case of 16 375ml cans of Alc-Less (A$2.90 per can) to A$150 for a 24-can case of special-release Brew Zealand Hazy DIPA (A$6.25 per can).
In a statement on LinkedIn yesterday (27 June), Laurence Kain, co-founder and managing director of Capital Brewing Co., said: “Stoked to announce that we have acquired one of the country’s most renowned cider brands, Batlow Cider!!
“If you are a regular visitor of the taproom we are sure you are familiar with Batlow Cider as we have been pouring it since we opened the doors of the taproom seven years ago.
“We feel so proud to take on the custodianship of Batlow and keep the iconic brand 100 per cent independent and Australian owned and operated.
“As you know Capital Brewing has a strong focus on operating in a socially and environmentally responsible way and one of the things we love about Batlow Cider is that it’s made from imperfect fruit that would not normally make it to supermarket shelves and may otherwise become a waste product. This compliments our environmental ethos and will help build on our B-Corp certification as a business.”
Batlow, previously an apple-grower cooperative, “became an integral part” of Ausfarm Fresh Group in 2017. Just Drinks has contacted the group about its shareholding in the company and reasons for divesting Batlow Cider.
Batlow Cider launched its cloudy cider in 2012 and now also produces a ‘premium’ cider as well as fruit-flavoured ciders. Its range is available in bottles, 375ml cans and kegs.
