Foster's is removing its NSW-based beer brand KB from production, while reviving some of its classic beers in Queensland and Victoria for limited edition runs.
The Queensland-based beers Brisbane Bitter and Bulimba Gold Top have not been produced in Australia since the 1980s and are being sold in a limited edition of 5000 cases in Queensland only. In Victoria, the classics Abbots Lagar and Ballarat Bitter will be re-released and 5000 cases will be sold in Dan Murphy's and Woolworths Liquor outlets.
While Foster's will not rule out the possibility of bringing these brands back to full production if the consumer response is strong, at the moment the company does not have plans to do so.
Carlton United Brewers communications manager Dan Holland said: “At this stage they're just limited releases because having them available only occasionally as a blast from the past is part of the romance.”
Holland confirmed that the NSW-based beer KB, famously drunk by rugby league personality Reg Reagan, played by Matthew Johns, will no longer be produced. Holland did not rule out the possibility of occasional limited-edition releases.
CUB general manager of marketing Andrew Meldrum said: “For beer drinkers this is a great opportunity to get a bit nostalgic with a couple of beers that in years gone by were front and centre in pubs and bottle shops. At CUB we have more than 150 years of brewing history, with 100s of old brands each with their own story to tell. Limited re-releases like this allow today's beer drinkers to tap into that rich heritage.”
This announcement comes just days before Foster's shareholders are due to vote on the $12.3 billion takeover by UK-based alcohol company SABMiller. Yesterday, the Australian government gave its stamp of approval on the deal, which was announced in September. Officials have imposed conditions that Fosters continues to brew in Australia.
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