Beers brewed under license in "other countries"

Forums › Off topic › Beers brewed under license in "other countries"

1 | 2 | 3

1965 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1904

#3461333 13-Feb-2026 17:51

wellygary:

But you'll be told by the local distributor that if you do it , you wont get any local product from us...

Way worse than that, the local manufacturer / distributor won't fund promotional pricing... and on alcohol that's a lot (~90% of beer sales are when the product is on special - Kiwis shop on price).

jonherries

1433 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 316

Trusted

Subscriber

#3461334 13-Feb-2026 17:58

My Asahi 0.0 was brewed in Italy…

Jon

Website: herri.es

Linkedin: jonherries

wellygary

8810 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5287

#3461340 13-Feb-2026 19:54

jonherries:

My Asahi 0.0 was brewed in Italy…

Jon

You are a true global citizen,

A Kiwi drinking Japanese beer, brewed by Italians....

jonherries

1433 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 316

Trusted

Subscriber

#3461343 13-Feb-2026 20:49

wellygary:

jonherries:

My Asahi 0.0 was brewed in Italy…

Jon

You are a true global citizen,

A Kiwi drinking Japanese beer, brewed by Italians....

I am fascinated how it is only $14.50 for a six pack, compared to $18-20 for lots of the others with the airmiles it must have. Especially when it is probably the best 0% beer I have ever drunk.

Website: herri.es

Linkedin: jonherries

gzt

18674 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7809

Lifetime subscriber

#3461345 13-Feb-2026 20:53

cddt: Heineken in NZ is brewed under license by DB (which is owned by Heineken), but in AU it's brewed under license by Lion (which is owned by Kirin). With a brand like that however the QC will be extremely strict to ensure it's as close as possible to the "real thing".

As close as possible given that it's not possible to be that close for some reason ; ).

Back when Heineken was getting started in NZ it seemed they imported from different markets on alternate weeks. I forget the version I liked but the local version when it started was absolutely nothing like it.

All of the local licenced copies everywhere are like that. Some I preferred more than others none were actually close to the original. Imo combination of the brewer capability and some tweaking for local market preferences. No idea what it's like now it's been ages although I do drink the zero version occasionally now.

Rickles

3107 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 445

Trusted

#3461399 14-Feb-2026 10:11

>You sound like a bit like the west coast publicans, who moved Monteiths to the international beers section after they shifted to Auckland<

But in Greymouth and Hokitika you then did get a $6 note as change for your $10 ! 😁

New World

Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).

nzkc

1634 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1041

#3461409 14-Feb-2026 10:54

My personal view is that if its brewed under license locally its not imported.

Kind of thinking we need a few official classifications (maybe they are.... certainly these are implied):

Imported (truly - brewed abroad and probably needs to be the original country)
Under license - so a foreign beer brewed here (or perhaps includes brewed in a country outside of the original beer)
Local or NZ beer

Honestly; I tend to avoid the brewed in NZ under licensed beers. They are rarely as good as the originals. Sure the list of ingredients may be the same, the process may be identical. But they just don't taste the same. In a lot of cases its down to the water. In others its the soil and environment the grains and hops changing the flavours. And most of these beers are just mass produced junk with a race to the bottom on price rather than a focus on quality. Yes some are ok and if you like them all power to you!

Besides we have some fantastic local beers (I am a bit of a craft beer snob to be fair) and I love experimenting with what I drink.

openmedia

3449 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 877

Trusted

#3461464 14-Feb-2026 11:53

vexxxboy:

openmedia:

Seeing beers brewed under licence in NZ isn't new, but seeing overseas brands being brewed in China is a bit crazy and they are now brands I'll avoid. I don't mind a Chinese beer, but the fact it is cheaper for Corona to be brewed China and then imported feels a bit bonkers.

The outliers like Peroni are interesting.

As you said this isn't new. In the UK most Stella Artois is brewed locally, but your local corner store would often have "imported" versions which were considerably better.

Stella Artois is brewed by Lion in Auckland since 2000

And it tastes very different to the Belgium brewed version.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

Goosey

3014 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 867

Subscriber

#3461487 14-Feb-2026 16:27

freitasm:

A bit unrelated but years ago I went to a bar and the list had "Imported beers". Looking at the bottle they had been brewed in Auckland.

Do they really qualify as "imported" if it comes from Auckland or Mangatoinaka (which I think is now closed)?

once in Rarotonga, we asked….”what’s the local beer”? Answer was “Lion Red”.

once in the UK, there was a brand of IPA on tap at a hotel, it had a weird ‘English name’. I asked “where’s this beer from”? Answer was “IPA means Indian Pale Ale”…..

lxsw20

3689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2174

Subscriber

#3461488 14-Feb-2026 16:35

IME the local in London is Fosters

farcus

1625 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 437

#3461490 14-Feb-2026 17:17

jonherries:

My Asahi 0.0 was brewed in Italy…

Jon

So is Asahi Super Dry 5.0 alc in cans.
I think the bottled stuff is brewed locally (or maybe Aus).

Dyson

Shop now for Dyson appliances (affiliate link).

cddt

1965 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1904

#3461672 15-Feb-2026 15:08

jonherries:

My Asahi 0.0 was brewed in Italy…

Jon

Heineken 0.0 is also imported.

To mass produce a good zero alcohol beer requires the right equipment.

If in doubt about the above, buy a box of Export Gold 0% (produced locally) and try that.

mudguard

2327 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1250

#3461675 15-Feb-2026 15:27

nzkc:

My personal view is that if its brewed under license locally its not imported.

Besides we have some fantastic local beers (I am a bit of a craft beer snob to be fair) and I love experimenting with what I drink.

I've been pondering a response for a couple of days. And trying to think of ways to not come off as a craft beer snob. So I think there are some great NZ craft beers, try them if you haven't!

I'm going through a Lakeman phase 🤣

MikeAqua

8024 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3817

#3461790 16-Feb-2026 08:51

freitasm:

A bit unrelated but years ago I went to a bar and the list had "Imported beers". Looking at the bottle they had been brewed in Auckland.

Do they really qualify as "imported" if it comes from Auckland or Mangatoinaka (which I think is now closed)?

It's a parochialism-based joke. When I was a scarfy in Dunedin we jokingly considered all North Island beers to be imported.

Mike

Lias

5655 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3978

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3461890 16-Feb-2026 13:53

wellygary:

Parallel importing is legal in NZ, so there is nothing to stop privateers from importing branded product from anywhere in the world and selling it here. But you'll be told by the local distributor that if you do it , you wont get any local product from us...

That's actually quite outrageous, if the law doesn't consider that anti competitive monopoly behaviour then, then it jolly well should.

I'm a geek, a gamer, a dad, a Quic user, and an IT Professional. I have a full rack home lab, size 15 feet, an epic beard and Asperger's. I'm a bit of a Cypherpunk, who believes information wants to be free and the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. If you use my Quic signup you can also use the code R570394EKGIZ8 for free setup. Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

1 | 2 | 3