When Coca Cola Amatil sold its stake in Pacific Beverages to SAB Miller, it agreed to remain out of the Australia beer and cider markets for a couple of years. But CCA always intended to re-enter the market and is now on the brink of doing so on a considerable scale.

Initially, CCA acquired Foster’s Group Pacific Limited (renamed Paradise Beverages (Fiji) Limited, owner of a Fiji brewery; entered into a joint venture with the Casella family to brew beer in Griffith, NSW; and then agreed to distribute Rekorderlig cider in Australia from 1 January 2014.

Then in early November Managing Director Terry Davis added several more products to the list – Molson Coors and Samuel Adams beers from the USA, and its own Alehouse draught beer and Pressman’s Australian cider.

When Coca Cola Amatil sold its stake in Pacific Beverages to SAB Miller, it agreed to remain out of the Australia beer and cider markets for a couple of years. But CCA always intended to re-enter the market and is now on the brink of doing so on a considerable scale.

Initially, CCA acquired Foster’s Group Pacific Limited (renamed Paradise Beverages (Fiji) Limited, owner of a Fiji brewery; entered into a joint venture with the Casella family to brew beer in Griffith, NSW; and then agreed to distribute Rekorderlig cider in Australia from 1 January 2014.

Then in early November Managing Director Terry Davis added several more products to the list – Molson Coors and Samuel Adams beers from the USA, and its own Alehouse draught beer and Pressman’s Australian cider.

The January 2014 launch should have a considerable impact on the Australian beer and cider markets.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2013

First published 13 November 2013 in the Canberra Times.