Australia: AB InBev’s Pirate Life to build the largest craft brewery in South Australia

Craft brewer Pirate Life has announced it will develop a A$15 mln site at Port Adelaide, creating the largest craft brewery in the state of South Australia, the Business Chief Australia reported on February 13.

The company was recently acquired by the world’s largest beer producing company, Belgium’s AB InBev, and it appears its mammoth spending power is being put into practice.

Pirate Life wants to nearly quadruple its output from 3 mln to 11 mln litres annually. It currently produces a range of different beer, from stouts and IPAs to golden ale and American-style hoppy pale ales.

Set up in 2014, Pirate Life has grown enormously in a short time, shown by the fact it produced just 600,000 litres in its first year compared to the 11 mln litres it now wants to make.

Co-founder Red Proudfoot told ABC: “We've been looking around for a new site for quite a while, looked at a number of locations, loved the Port and identified this gorgeous old wool store.”

He was joined in setting up the company by two fellow Western Australians, who decided that South Australia was the best base to grow the company from. Pirate Life already exports to the likes of New Zealand and the UK.

13 February, 2018