Pirate Life snapped up by world’s biggest brewer AB InBev and will open new brewery in Port Adelaide next year

GLOBAL brewing giant AB InBev has snapped up iconic local brewer Pirate Life, injecting $10 million into the brewer’s plans to revitalise Port Adelaide — as Coopers’ unveil a $65 million new malting plant.

CEO and co-founder of Pirate Life Brewing Michael Cameron with his son Jack Cameron, Co-founder and brewer with a pale ale. Picture: Stephen Laffer

• Coopers makes a massive investment in its future

SOUTH Australia’s burgeoning reputation for brewing some of the best craft and mainstream beers is capturing the attention of global heavyweights and attracting unprecedented levels of investment.

In a game-changing day for the local beer industry on Thursday, the world’s biggest brewer snapped up local craft outfit Pirate Life, while Coopers unveiled a new $65 million malting plant at its Regency Park home.

Global giant AB InBev — whose portfolio includes iconic brands Corona, Budweiser and Stella Artois — will inject $10 million towards Pirate Life’s plan to revitalise Port Adelaide with an eight-million-litre per-year brewery and hospitality venue in the heart of the district.

The company’s extensive international distribution network will also support Pirate Life’s expansion into new markets, according to co-founder Jack Cameron.

“Their expertise, quality and distribution chain, from day one will be really valuable — we want to sell good beer to everyone around the world and they’ll help us achieve that,” he said.

“Now that we have closed the deal, we’re moving forward very quickly.

“We’ll get the lease signed before the end of the year and by this time next year we’ll have a fully functional hospitality venue up and running.

“It will be a 250-to-300 person venue with our beers on tap, a food offering and beer garden — we’re really excited to be part of the Port Adelaide revival.”

Pirate Life was established in 2014 when West Australian father-and-son team Michael and Jack Cameron and Jack’s best mate Jared “Red” Proudfoot set up base at their current facility in Hindmarsh.

Following completion of the Port Adelaide facility, the Hindmarsh brewery will be dedicated to creating new and innovative beer varieties, including sours, seasonal and barrel-aged products.

AB InBev owns the Carlton & United Breweries business and recently acquired Sydney craft beer company 4 Pines.

The company’s president of the Asia Pacific South zone, Jan Craps, said Pirate Life’s lifestyle-driven brand complemented the company’s existing portfolio.

“With its focus on canned packaging that gives consumers fresh, well-crafted beers and consistent quality, Pirate Life has resonated with Australian beer drinkers who want something different,” he said.

“This approach can only be enhanced with a new brewery, access to ingredients and shared knowledge from other AB InBev brewers in Australia and elsewhere.”

Pirate Life, which has led the renaissance of canned beer in South Australia, is one of the state’s 19 independent brewers listed as members of the Independent Brewers Association (IBA).

IBA executive officer Chris McNamara said SA’s independent brewers were highly regarded, both nationally and internationally.

“There’s definitely more of a focus in South Australia on food and beverage — being an important part of what the state is trying to achieve,” he said.

“For a long time it was all about food and wine but we’ve definitely seen that changing through small breweries and distilleries.”

The AB InBev deal comes hot on the heels of Vale Ale’s sale to Bickford’s in July, and coincides with Thursday’s unveiling of Coopers’ new malting plant.

It is the 155-year old company’s biggest investment, and will create eight new jobs.

The company says the new 13,000 sqm plant is the “most technically advanced in the world’’.

Coopers managing director Dr Tim Cooper said that at full capacity, the maltings would produce around 54,000 tonnes of malt a year and give Coopers full control over an important raw material.

Coopers will use approximately 17,000 tonnes of the 54,000 tonnes of malt a year in its operations, with the balance sold to a range of domestic and export customers.

“South Australian farmers are recognised as producing some of the best malting barley in the world and we will be looking to establish strong relationships with them into the future,” Dr Cooper said.

“Some of the innovations we have incorporated include full stainless-steel construction, enclosed conveyors, together with advanced process control and monitoring.

The new plant marks a return to the maltings business for Coopers after it sold Adelaide Maltings in 2002. The first beer brewed from malt from the new plant is expected to be in hotels and bottle shops before Christmas.