What Gage Roads does

Gage Roads Brew Co is an Australian independent craft brewery headquartered in Palmyra, Western Australia, operating since approximately 2005 and employing around 240 staff, 20% of whom are employee-shareholders through a broad-based ownership model. The company was founded by John Hoedemaker and is structured as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Good Drinks Australia Ltd, a publicly listed parent that provides capital infrastructure and a national distribution network through state-based sales representatives in every Australian state and territory. The portfolio spans three product tiers: a year-round core range (including Single Fin Summer Ale, Side Track XPA, Hazy As Hazy Pale Ale, Huey Coastal Lager, Yeah Buoy non-alcoholic XPA, Air Time, Pipe Dreams Coastal Lager and the Pinky Sunset apple cider), a limited-release programme (collaborations such as Sea Bird with Liquor Barons and Spring Suit sour; revival editions like Little Dove New World Pale Ale and Sea Devil Imperial Stout), and the venue-exclusive A Shed Series of small-batch experimental beers brewed at the Gage Roads Freo portside brewery. The underlying production capability is conventional craft brewing — wort production, fermentation and packaging at the Palmyra brewery — with a distinctive innovation pipeline expressed through rotation of small-batch styles on the A Shed Series platform.

Gage Roads generates revenue through three primary streams: packaged beer sales (bottles and cans) and draught supply to retail and licensed-venue channels via the Good Drinks wholesale network and listings at Dan Murphy's and independent bottle shops; on-premises revenue at the Gage Roads Freo brewpub at Walyalup Waterfront, including food, beverage, brewery tours, venue hire and functions; and direct-to-consumer merchandise sales through the gageroads.com.au online shop. GTM is therefore hybrid: wholesale through Good Drinks state-based sales managers (WA, NT, SA, VIC, TAS, QLD, NSW), direct DTC at the Fremantle brewpub, and ecommerce for branded apparel. The company does not publish unit pricing for beer products and operates on standard wholesale and hospitality pricing models, with merch shipping free above AU$100.

The customer base is long-tailed rather than concentrated: enterprise-scale retail via Dan Murphy's and licensed-venue on-tap supply across Australia, plus SMB reach into independent bottle shops and hospitality venues, augmented by direct consumer engagement at the Fremantle venue. The brand's commercial differentiation rests on a coastal / surf-lifestyle identity anchored by part-ownership stakes held by Olympic medallist Jack Robinson and pro surfers Jacob Willcox, Bronte Macaulay and Brenden Margieson, plus partnerships with Tangaroa Blue Foundation (AMDI), Surfers for Climate, The Mad Hueys and Pink Boots Society Australia. Sustainability practice — single-use-plastic-free venue, water efficiency, spent-grain reuse and ocean-protection donations — is embedded in positioning rather than product technology.

Name

Gage Roads

Legal name

Gage Roads Brewing Co.

Website

https://gageroads.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gage Roads Brew Co is an Australian independent craft brewery producing coastal-inspired beers and cider through national wholesale, a Fremantle brewpub, and direct-to-consumer channels. The Perth-based, employee-owned subsidiary of Good Drinks Australia distributes via Dan Murphy's, licensed venues and independent bottle shops nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer and Cider

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Breweries (312120), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD), Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Craft cider production
• Brewpub hospitality
• Independent Australian brewery
• Packaged alcoholic beverages

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales: Sale of packaged beer (bottles, cans) and draught beer through retail bottle shops, Dan Murphy's, and licensed venues across Australia
2. Brewpub Revenue: On-site sales at Gage Roads Freo brewpub including food, beverages, venue hire, and functions
3. Merchandise Sales: Online merch store selling branded apparel and merchandise with free shipping over $100

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gage Roads Brew Co is an Australian independent craft brewery that manufactures and sells packaged craft beers and ciders through retail, wholesale, and on-premise channels across Australia, and operates the Gage Roads Freo waterfront brewpub at Walyalup Waterfront in Fremantle serving venue-exclusive small-batch experimental brews, food, functions, and brewery tours.

Product overview

Gage Roads Brew Co is an Australian independent brewery offering a portfolio of craft beers and cider across core range, limited release, and exclusive venue-only (A Shed Series) tiers. The core range includes Single Fin Summer Ale, Side Track XPA, Hazy As, Huey Coastal Lager, Yeah Buoy (non-alcoholic), Air Time, Pinky Sunset cider, and Pipe Dreams. The A Shed Series provides experimental small-batch brews exclusive to the Gage Roads Freo brewpub. Limited releases include collaboration brews (Sea Bird with Liquor Barons, Spring Suit sour), special editions (Little Dove New World Pale Ale), and seasonal offerings. Supporting offerings include merchandise, hospitality venue services (brewpub, tours, functions), and live music events. The company also maintains a surf team partnership program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A Shed Series: Experimental and limited release beers brewed at the Gage Roads Freo portside brewery, available only at the brewpub.

Quantifiable outcome

• Single Fin placed #3 nationally and #1 in WA in GABS Hottest 100 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Phantom Surfboards (Chris Garrett)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026Collaboration with surfboard shaper Chris Garrett to create the 'Beer Board' - world's first surfboard filled with beer. Custom board designed and built to hold 10 litres of Single Fin beer.
• Jack RobinsoncoreOthersOlympic surfing medallist and part-owner of Gage Roads, serving as brand ambassador and surf team rider since January 2023
• Brenden MargiesonminorOthersLegendary free surfer and part-owner, associated with Gage Roads surf team
• Jacob WillcoxcoreOthersPro surfer (WSL Championship Tour 2024) and part-owner since January 2024, hailing from Margaret River
• Bronte MacaulaycoreOthersPro surfer (WSL Challenger Series winner) and part-owner since January 2024
• The Mad HueysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Huey Coastal Lager launch, bringing surf/lifestyle content creators into brand collaboration
• Liquor BaronsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Sea Bird Single Hop Pale Ale exclusive release using Superdelic hops, available exclusively through Liquor Barons network
• Pink Boots Society AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership supporting women in brewing, collaborating on special beer releases like She's Golden and Shred Betty for International Women's Day
• Tangaroa Blue Foundation (AMDI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2020 supporting beach clean-ups and ocean protection, with $1 from every pint donated at World Ocean Day events
• WA World Ocean DayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership celebrating World Ocean Day at Gage Roads Freo with expert panels, live music, special release brews, and donations to AMDI
• Surfers for ClimateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting ocean protection efforts, including Wild Waves Forever film screening to raise awareness about offshore gas drilling threats
• Justin Bell (Jus Burgers)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on food and beer pairing events featuring local produce and craft beer combinations
• Sly Withers, Indigo Blaze, Rosalie Chilvers, SolsticeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLive & Local event series featuring local Western Australian musicians at Gage Roads Freo, supporting music community

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pirate Life Brewing: Australian craft brewery originally founded in Perth and now owned by Carlton & United Breweries. Comparable in craft beer portfolio and West Australian roots, though now operating under global brewer ownership.
• Stone & Wood Brewing: Leading independent Australian craft brewery founded in Byron Bay, known for coastal lifestyle branding and a national distribution footprint. Closely comparable to Gage Roads in independent positioning, lifestyle marketing, and craft beer portfolio breadth.
• 4 Pines Brewing Company: Independent-origin Australian craft brewer now part of the CUB portfolio, with brewpub venues and a packaged craft range. Comparable in operating brewpub + national packaged distribution model.
• Mountain Goat Beer: Australian craft brewery founded in Melbourne, now owned by Asahi, known for independent-style craft ales and a brewpub. Comparable as a craft brewer with both venue and packaged distribution channels.
• Balter Brewing Company: Australian craft brewery founded by professional surfers and now part of Carlton & United Breweries. Highly comparable lifestyle/athlete-driven brand positioning and craft beer portfolio; serves as a useful comparison for surf-anchored craft beer brands at scale.
• BrewDog: Global craft brewer with operating brewpubs and a packaged craft beer portfolio distributed in Australia. Comparable to Gage Roads in craft positioning, brewpub-led brand experience, and ambition to scale craft nationally while maintaining independent identity.
• Coopers Brewery: Australia's largest remaining family-owned brewery, producing a portfolio of ales, stouts, and lagers. Like Gage Roads, it is an independent Australian-owned brewer competing in craft and premium beer segments with strong regional heritage and brand loyalty.

Broad incumbents

• Lion (Lion Nathan): Major Australian brewer owned by Kirin, producing mainstream and craft brands including XXXX, James Boag's, Little Creatures, and White Rabbit. Serves as a benchmark for how incumbents have acquired craft brands to compete in the segment.
• Carlton & United Breweries (CUB): Australia's largest brewer, owned by Asahi, producing mainstream brands (Carlton, VB, Great Northern) as well as acquired craft labels. Represents the dominant incumbent that Gage Roads competes against for shelf and tap share.

Emerging players

• Cheeky Rasel Cider / Willie Smith's: Australian craft cider producers overlapping with Gage Roads' Pinky Sunset cider line and broader premium beverage distribution channels. Comparable as a smaller craft producer sharing the independent Australian owned and lifestyle positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gage Roads