Australia: Kirin to close its Tiny Mountain brewery, discontinue the brand

Kirin subsidiary Lion has made the decision to close its Tiny Mountain hospitality venue and microbrewery, and discontinue the Tiny Mountain beer brand, the company announced on March 29.

Located in the North-eastern Australian state of Queensland, the Tiny Mountain brewery and hospitality site will close its doors and cease trading this weekend (2 April). A spokesperson for Lion told Just Drinks that it had no plans to sell the brand or to continue production at another site.

The Tiny Mountain brewery closure will impact its 3 permanent staff and 15 casual team members.

Lion’s Queensland sales director Pat Donohue said: “From the outset, Tiny Mountain was created to be a great local brand that would be enjoyed here in the region and beyond North Queensland.

“While the venue has been embraced by locals, despite the dedication and passion of our amazing local team, unfortunately sales of Tiny Mountain have not grown as strongly as initially hoped beyond the venue.”

The brewery opened in 2020, but Lion did not own the location of the brewery on Palmer St in Townsville, instead leasing the site for Tiny Mountain’s operation. With that lease set to expire, Lion said it had made the “difficult decision” to exit the venue and retire the brand.

In 2020, Lion made the decision to close its Bryon Bay Brewery. The Kirin Subsidiary blamed the pandemic and the resulting closure of its venue due to Covid-19, stating that it would not be reopening after a few “extremely tough” months. Unlike Tiny Mountain, the Bryon Bay beer and seltzer brands are still in production.

Last summer, Lion sold two of its UK craft breweries – operated under its Lion Little World Beverages UK unit – to the UK-based Odyssey Inns for an undisclosed amount.

Fourpure Brewing Co. and Magic Rock Brewing Co. were offloaded by the Australian brewer following a strategic review of the “difficult trading conditions” in the UK.

31 March, 2023