carlton & united breweries (part of asahi)

What carlton & united breweries (part of asahi) does

Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) is an Australian brewing company operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings within its Asahi Beverages division. The company's flagship brands include Carlton Draught (bottled since 1967, with brewing heritage dating to 1864), Carlton Mid, Victoria Bitter and Great Northern. Core production is traditional beer brewing anchored at the Carlton Brewhouse facility in Abbotsford, Victoria, with a distinctive tank beer program in which unpasteurised beer is transported cold from brewery bright tanks directly to 100+ licensed venues across Victoria and NSW, preserving a fresh taste profile that has been part of the brand since the 19th century.

The business operates two distinct revenue streams. The primary stream is on-premise beer sales through a network of licensed pubs, hotels and venues — including flagship accounts such as Young & Jacksons, Crown Casino, Carlton Brewhouse and the Prince Alfred Hotel — where Carlton Draught is sold on tap. The second stream is direct-to-consumer e-commerce merchandise sold via carltondraught.com.au, offering branded apparel ($29.95–$99.95), bar accessories, AFL team-branded and licensed bar fridges (46L–370L, supplied under a Schmick licensing partnership, $449–$1,399), and limited-edition collaborative collections with partners such as Corner Hotel, NXP Global Football and Uncle Reco. Domestic shipping only, dispatched from Melbourne.

CUB's go-to-market leans heavily on its position as the official beer of the AFL, with marketing channels built around AFL team sponsorships, the Carlton Draft program, social media, email newsletters, and on-premise venue marketing. The company is registered in Australia as Asahi Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd (ABN 48 135 315 767) and was acquired by Asahi Group Holdings from SABMiller in 2016. Its parent, Asahi Group Holdings, is publicly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (ticker 2502) and was established in 1889. CUB itself operates as a private subsidiary.

Name

carlton & united breweries (part of asahi)

Legal name

Asahi Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd

Website

https://carltondraught.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1864

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Carlton & United Breweries is an Australian brewing subsidiary of Asahi Beverages that produces flagship beer brands including Carlton Draught, Carlton Mid, Victoria Bitter and Great Northern, distributing through 100+ licensed venues across Victoria and NSW and operating a direct-to-consumer merchandise e-commerce store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beer Production and Distribution

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Beer production
• Brewery operations
• Draught beer
• Branded merchandise
• Beverage distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales (On-premise): Sale of Carlton Draught beer through licensed pub and venue partners across Victoria, NSW, and other Australian states. Beer is sold on-tap in pubs, with special 'tank beer' venues serving unpasteurised product directly from brewery tanks.
2. Merchandise E-commerce: Direct-to-consumer sales of branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, caps), bar accessories (glasses, stubby coolers, bar mats), and bar fridges through the carltondraught.com.au online store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carlton & United Breweries produces and distributes flagship beer brands Carlton Draught and Carlton Mid, sold on-premise through an extensive network of over 100 licensed pubs and venues across Victoria and NSW, including dedicated tank beer venues serving unpasteurised draught beer. The company also operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce merchandise store selling branded apparel, accessories, bar fridges, coolers, glassware, and AFL-themed products.

Product overview

Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), part of Asahi Beverages, operates as a major Australian beverage company with its flagship Carlton Draught beer brand. The company offers a portfolio of beer products including Carlton Draught (brewery-fresh since 1864) and Carlton Mid (award-winning mid-strength). CUB operates an e-commerce merchandise store selling branded apparel, accessories, bar fridges, coolers, glassware, and AFL-themed products. The merchandise includes collaborative collections (Corner Hotel, NXP Global, Uncle Reco), AFL bar fridges for various teams, and the Heritage Collection. The company also promotes its Tank Beer program featuring unpasteurised draught beer served fresh from brewery tanks at partner venues across Victoria and NSW.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carlton Draught Primary flagship beer brand and core product of Carlton & United Breweries. Brewery-fresh draught beer with heritage dating back to 1864 (originally called Carlton Ale), featuring official AFL partnership and sold on-premise at licensed venues across Victoria, NSW, and Australia.
• Carlton Mid Mid-strength beer variant brewed using traditional bittering hops and finest hop extracts with muted malt flavours and perfect balance, targeting health-conscious consumers.
• Tank Beer Unpasteurised draught beer served fresh from bright beer copper tanks, transported cold from the brewery directly to designated venues. Beer is not heated to 70 degrees during brewing, preserving a lively taste profile and smooth finish. Served at 100+ tank beer venues across Victoria and NSW.
• Carlton Draught Merchandise Store Official online e-commerce merchandise store selling Carlton Draught branded apparel, accessories, bar fridges, coolers, glassware, and AFL-themed products. Ships domestically within Australia from Melbourne.
• Carlton Draught AFL Bar Fridges Branded bar fridges and coolers featuring AFL team designs including Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong Cats, and Adelaide Crows, ranging from 46L to 370L capacities. Licensed partnership with Schmick for bar fridge production.
• Carlton Draught x Corner Hotel Collection Limited-edition collaborative merchandise collection inspired by The Corner Hotel's iconic carpet, featuring sweaters ($99), beanies ($39), socks ($24.95), and bar mats ($39).
• NXP x CUB Global Football Collection Sports apparel and football-themed merchandise collection featuring shorts, jerseys, and t-shirts from the NXP x CUB Global Football collaboration.
• Carlton Draught Apparel Apparel merchandise category featuring t-shirts ($49.95-$59.95), hoodies ($99-$99.95), long sleeve tees ($59.95), caps ($29.95-$44.95), socks ($16.95-$29.95), and beanies ($39-$39.95) with Carlton Draught branding.
• Beer Gear Accessories Beer-related accessory merchandise including stubby coolers ($12.95), bar runners ($34.95), glassware, and cooler bags.

Quantifiable outcome

• Brewery fresh beer since 1864
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• AFL (Australian Football League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial beer of the AFL, featuring AFL Legends, legacy rivalries, and local league sponsorships. Includes The Carlton Draft program connecting the brand with Australian football culture.
• Corner HotelflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on limited-edition merchandise collection inspired by the Corner Hotel's iconic carpet. Products include sweaters ($99), beanies ($39), socks ($24.95), and bar mats ($39).
• SchmickcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed bar fridge brand partnership producing Carlton Draught branded bar fridges in various sizes (70L-370L) sold through the merchandise store.
• NXP (Global Football)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNXP x CUB Global Football collaboration producing football apparel and merchandise including shorts, jerseys, and t-shirts sold through the merchandise store.
• Various AFL Teams (Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong, Adelaide Crows)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLicensed AFL team partnerships for branded bar fridges and merchandise. Each team has dedicated fridge models (46L-370L) and apparel collections available through the merchandise store.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lion (Kirin-owned): Lion is one of Australia's largest brewers, producing XXXX, Hahn, James Squire, and Little Creatures, with national on-premise distribution. Direct competitor to CUB in the Australian mass-market and craft beer segments with comparable venue and retail channels.
• Coopers Brewery: Coopers is Australia's largest family-owned brewery, producing Coopers Original Pale Ale, Sparkling Ale, and a growing craft range. A direct Australian peer competing for tap handles and on-premise accounts with a similarly heritage-focused brand positioning.

Broad incumbents

• AB InBev: AB InBev is the world's largest brewer, operating Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, and Carlton's arch-rival Victoria Bitter (now under CUB via Foster's heritage). Global incumbent competing with CUB across Australia and international export markets.
• Heineken: Heineken is a global brewing leader with Heineken, Tiger, and Sol, operating in Australia via Heineken Beverages. Competes with CUB in the premium international lager segment and broader Australian on-premise channel.
• Diageo Australia: Diageo is a global beverage alcohol leader with Guinness, Johnnie Walker, and Bundaberg Rum, operating across Australia. Competes with CUB for on-premise accounts and broader alcohol consumer occasions, particularly in pubs and licensed venues.

Emerging players

• Stone & Wood Brewing: Stone & Wood is a leading Australian craft brewer from Northern NSW producing Green Coast Lager, Pacific Ale, and Cloud Catcher. Represents the craft premiumisation trend competing for tap handles in venues where Carlton Draught tank beer is served.
• Mountain Goat Beer: Mountain Goat is a Melbourne-based craft brewery (now Asahi-owned) producing Steam Ale, Hightail Ale, and rotating seasonals. Direct craft competitor operating in Carlton Draught's home Melbourne market, now under the same Asahi Beverages umbrella.
• Balter Brewing Company: Balter is a Queensland craft brewer (now owned by Carlton & United's sister Asahi entity) producing XPA, IPA, and Hop Theory series. A craft-segment peer operating under related ownership, competing for tap handles and venue accounts in Australia.

Regional players

• BrewDog: BrewDog is a Scottish craft brewery with global bar and franchise operations, producing Punk IPA, Elvis Juice, and Lost Lager. Comparable as a craft-led brand with merchandise, on-premise venues, and DTC e-commerce strategy, though operating primarily outside Australia.

Others

• Asahi Beverages NZ: Asahi Beverages New Zealand operates Steinlager, Lion Red, and Speight's, sharing parent ownership with CUB. Sister entity rather than direct competitor, but comparable business model, distribution, and on-premise approach across the Tasman market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInasahibeverages.com/linkedin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 carlton & united breweries (part of asahi)