Lagunitas Brewing Company is bound for Australia at some point, but the distribution arrangements are yet to be confirmed.
The Californian brewer, now co-owned by Heineken, announced the Australian launch in an email to local beer media this week, after previously professing its interest.
But the company has not settled on a date, nor decided on its route to market, Lagunitas director of communications, Karen Hamilton told Australian Brews News.
Not Heineken Lion
Whoever will be distributing, it will not be Heineken Lion, which is focusing its energies on larger volume products like Heineken 3.
“There’s been no thought or discussion whatsoever on the brands elsewhere around the world. We’ve got a pretty full portfolio at the moment,” Heineken Lion managing director Andrew Campbell told Australian Brews News.
The upcoming launch was also news to representatives of New Zealand’s DB Breweries, itself a Heineken subsidiary, and DB’s Australian arm Drinkworks.
Drinkworks is also yet to confirm whether there will be any change to the local distribution of Tuatara Brewing Company, which was acquired by DB last week.
Tuatara is currently distributed by Experience It Beverages.
Read more:
Brand upheaval boosts Heineken Lion
Heineken-backed Lagunitas “interested” in Australia
Hope they pick an East Coast distributer.