CUB Premium Beverages

What CUB Premium Beverages does

CUB Premium Beverages (legally Asahi Beverages, formerly Carlton & United Breweries) is the Oceania and Asia Pacific beverage operating subsidiary of Japan's Asahi Group Holdings (TSE: 2502). The company manufactures and distributes a multi-category portfolio spanning beer (Great Northern, Victoria Bitter, Carlton Draft, Vodka Cruiser), mixers and soft drinks (Schweppes, StrangeLove), coffee (Allpress Espresso), and premium spirits (Never Never Gin), supported by ~85 brands across ANZ and ~21 brands across the South, Central and Southeast Asia region. Production capability totals ~2.2 billion litres annually, executed through 50+ local manufacturing and distribution centres in ANZ and ~4 centres across the Asia Pacific region.

The business operates as a wholesale and distribution platform serving general consumers through three primary channels: retail stores (supermarkets, convenience stores, bottle shops), hospitality venues (pubs, clubs, restaurants, bars, licensed venues), and direct distribution to large hospitality operators and major retail chains. Go-to-market leverages sports sponsorships with NRL, AFL and State of Origin for brand activation, alongside community partnerships (e.g., Great Northern x Rural Aid) and earned media through a corporate news centre. Revenue is generated through one-time purchase transactions of physical beverage products at retail and on-premise price points; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

The company was formed through a sequence of corporate actions: Schweppes' founding in 1783, CUB's establishment in 1907, Asahi Group's 2009 acquisition of Schweppes Australia and Independent Liquor (New Zealand), and the transformative 2020 acquisition of Carlton & United Breweries alongside premium brands Allpress Espresso, StrangeLove and Never Never gin. In 2025, Asahi consolidated its Oceania and South, Central and Southeast Asia operations into a single APAC regional headquarters covering Australia, New Zealand and 22 additional countries, with ~4,200 ANZ and ~1,800 Asia Pacific employees (~6,000 total). As of 2026, the company is investing in supply chain modernisation (new Queensland distribution centre at Redbank), marketing capability (new creative agencies, Mindshare media appointment), and category diversification to extend its multi-occasion beverage positioning.

Name

CUB Premium Beverages

Legal name

Asahi Beverages

Website

https://asahipremiumbeverages.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CUB Premium Beverages (Asahi Beverages) is the Oceania and Asia Pacific beverage subsidiary of Japan's Asahi Group Holdings, manufacturing and distributing ~85 beer, spirits, coffee, soft drink and mixer brands across Australia, New Zealand and 22 Asia Pacific countries via 50+ manufacturing and distribution centres.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alcoholic Beverages

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Malt Beverages (2082), Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alcoholic Beverage Brand Owners & Holding Companies (Multi-category Portfolios) (CRADAIAL), Alcoholic Beverage Mixers & Cocktail Ingredients Brands (Non-alcoholic) (CRADAIAH), RTD Coffee Production (Non-Dairy/Non-Alcoholic) (AFAFABAE)

Keywords

• Alcoholic beverages
• Non-alcoholic beverages
• Beverage manufacturing
• Premium beer brands
• Beverage distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Southbank

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beverage Product Sales: Manufactures and distributes a portfolio of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages including beer, spirits, coffee, soft drinks, mixers, and adult beverages sold through retail and hospitality channels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CUB Premium Beverages manufactures and distributes alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in Australia, New Zealand and across the broader Asia Pacific region. The company produces beer, spirits, ready-to-drink products, premium coffee, soft drinks and mixers under owned brands such as Great Northern, Victoria Bitter, Carlton Draft, Schweppes, Allpress Espresso, StrangeLove, Never Never Gin and Vodka Cruiser, supplied through supermarkets, pubs, clubs, restaurants and on-trade outlets.

Product overview

Asahi Beverages operates a multi-category beverage platform spanning beer, coffee, soft drinks, mixers, and spirits. The portfolio is anchored by flagship beer brands Great Northern and Victoria Bitter (VB), expanded through acquisitions including Allpress Espresso (premium coffee), StrangeLove (adult soft drinks and mixers), and Never Never Gin (premium spirits). The company produces approximately 2.2 billion litres annually across 50+ manufacturing and distribution centres in Australia and New Zealand, with additional operations across 22 countries in Asia. With approximately 85 beverage brands total, the platform serves occasions from morning coffee through after-work drinks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Great Northern: Beer brand, official sponsor of The Great Shout initiative supporting Rural Aid for Queensland farmers.
• Victoria Bitter (VB)
• Carlton Draft
• Schweppes
• Allpress Espresso
• StrangeLove
• Never Never Gin

Products and services

• Great Northern Australian mainstream beer brand produced and distributed by CUB Premium Beverages for sale through retail and hospitality channels.
• Victoria Bitter Heritage Australian beer brand produced and distributed across Australia, with strong on-premise presence.
• Carlton Draft Australian mainstream beer brand produced by CUB and supplied to retail and on-premise customers.
• Schweppes Range of soft drinks and mixers manufactured and distributed by CUB Premium Beverages through Asahi Beverages for retail and hospitality customers.
• Allpress Espresso Specialty coffee brand produced and distributed by CUB Premium Beverages, including roasted coffee for foodservice customers.
• StrangeLove Premium mixer brand produced and distributed by CUB Premium Beverages for retail and on-premise channels.
• Never Never Gin Premium gin brand produced and distributed by CUB Premium Beverages for sale through retail and hospitality venues.
• Vodka Cruiser Pre-mixed vodka ready-to-drink brand produced and distributed by CUB Premium Beverages.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MindshareminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026Appointed as media agency partner following competitive pitch to support next phase of growth and media strategy execution.
• Rural AidminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 May 2026The Great Shout initiative where Great Northern beer brand matches donations up to $100,000 to support Queensland farmers in need. Partnership runs for limited promotional periods.
• NRL (National Rugby League)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Great Northern is the official beer of NRL, with the 'Great Shout' program activated at NRL Magic Round, rallying fans behind Queensland farmers.
• AFL (Australian Football League)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Carlton Draft partnership where AFL legends are drafted to local footy clubs for special match day experiences as part of brand activation.
• State of OrigincoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Victoria Bitter is the official beer of State of Origin series, running activations like 'Thirst Class' private jet experiences for interstate fans.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Kirin Holdings: Japanese beverage conglomerate and parent company of Lion (Australia's other major brewer), directly comparable as a Japanese-headquartered multi-beverage group with major ANZ beer operations competing head-to-head with CUB Premium Beverages.
• Pernod Ricard: Global premium spirits and wine group with established Australia and APAC operations, competing with CUB Premium Beverages across spirits (Never Never Gin) and wine categories with comparable international brand portfolios and Asian market reach.
• Suntory Holdings: Japanese beverage conglomerate owning brands like Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, and Orangina, with comparable multi-beverage (spirits, beer, soft drinks, RTD coffee) and pan-APAC operating footprint to Asahi Beverages.
• Heineken: Global brewing leader with operations across Asia Pacific, comparable multi-beverage strategy, premium beer portfolio, and emerging market growth profile to CUB Premium Beverages / Asahi Beverages, sharing similar competitive dynamics in Australia and SE Asia.
• Treasury Wine Estates: Australia's largest wine company (Penfolds, Wolf Blass, 19 Crimes) and a major alcoholic beverage operator with comparable production scale, ANZ heritage brands, and export reach to Asian markets that overlap with CUB Premium Beverages' geographic footprint.
• Diageo Australia: Global spirits giant with significant Australia presence across premium spirits and RTDs (Bundaberg Rum, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan), directly competing in the spirits and mixer categories where Never Never Gin and StrangeLove compete.

Direct peers

• Lion (Kirin Holdings): Lion is Australia's other major brewer and beverage company (XXXX, James Squire, Little Creatures, Hahn) and is the closest direct competitor to CUB Premium Beverages across beer, RTDs, and broader beverages in the Australian market, operating with comparable scale and distribution.
• Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (Australia): Operates as the primary bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola products across Australia, directly competing with CUB Premium Beverages' Schweppes and StrangeLove soft drink/mixer portfolio and overlapping in retail and hospitality distribution channels.

Others

• Asahi Group Holdings: Parent company of CUB Premium Beverages / Asahi Beverages (TSE: 2502), the global Japanese conglomerate providing capital, strategy, and global brand portfolio (Asahi Super Dry) that shapes CUB Premium Beverages' competitive positioning across APAC.
• Endeavour Group: Australia's largest drinks retail and hospitality operator (Dan Murphy's, BWS, ALH hotels) and a key customer channel for CUB Premium Beverages, while also competing via its own private label and procurement scale in beer, wine, and spirits categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asahi-premium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 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 CUB Premium Beverages