Rumours that Northern Beaches-based 4 Pines were going to be bought by one of Australia's major brewing companies swirled, and were denied, for years before CUB – then owned by AB InBev – added the award-winning operation to its craft portfolio in the second half of 2017. 4 Pines have since gone on to open multiple new venues, including joint ventures and bars at sporting stadia, across the eastern seaboard.

If Pirate Life's rise from first can to multi-million dollar sale was spectacular, you could argue that Balter's was even more so. The Gold Coast brewery with a quartet of famous surfers among its founders combined trophy-winning beers and a brand with broad appeal to huge success. Their rapid rise brought CUB to their door just as the last decade was drawing to a close. CUB's subsequent acquisition by Asahi makes Balter part of an impressive portfolio of once-indie brands owned by the Japanese giant, and has helped make their beer – the XPA in particular – near ubiquitous, something they'll be hoping to take further with the launch of Cerveza.

When Green Beacon launched in 2013, their Teneriffe brewpub was the first new brewery of its kind to open in Brisbane in years. They were one of the first craft breweries to embrace cans and made a habit of winning major trophies before being acquired by Asahi at the time the Japanese giant was finalising its acquisition of CUB. In March 2023, Asahi announced they were to close Green Beacon's main production brewery in Geebung.

Although the sale of Mountain Goat to Asahi wasn't as significant in terms of volume or price as that of Little World Beverages to Lion years earlier, it arguably sent a bigger shockwave through the local industry. It proved to be the precursor for the high profile acquisitions of much-loved craft breweries in the following years. Since then, the pioneering Melbourne-based brewery has become best known for its fridge-filler GOAT Very Enjoyable Beer while still putting out impressive, award-winning limited releases.

Pirate Life's rise after the launch of their first beers in March 2015 was little short of phenomenal, leading CUB – then owned by AB InBev – to snap up the Adelaide-based operation less than three year later. They have since opened a mighty impressive brewery and venue in Port Adelaide plus smaller brewpubs in Perth and their adopted home city's SkyCity casino building.

The trailblazing brewery that kickstarted the contemporary craft beer world has enjoyed an unlikely rebirth. After fading into insignificance within the CUB family, in 2019 came the surprise news that original founder and head brewer Phil Sexton had reached an agreement to bring Matilda Bay back to life. He and his team are doing so from the Yarra Valley, with the former Giant Steps winery venue turned into a brewpub focused on reclaiming the brand's unique heritage.

Originally a beer – Fat Yak – released under the Matilda Bay banner, it grew into a range of Yak beers which ultimately became their own brand within CUB.

The James Squire beers and brand, named after the man said to have been Australia's first brewer, were created by Chuck Hahn in partnership with Lion Nathan after the latter acquired Hahn Brewing and its home in Camperdown in 1993. The brewery was later renamed the Malt Shovel Brewery, while you can now find numerous James Squire-branded venues and brewpubs across the country.

One of Australia's true trailblazers in the world of beer, Little Creatures was launched around the turn of the Millennium by a team that included some of the founders of Matilda Bay and, on the back of Little Creatures Pale (originally called Live), went onto become a major national brand. From day one, Lion Nathan was a part-owner of parent company Little World Beverages and, in 2012, acquired the entirety of the business, including White Rabbit. Little Creatures these days operates two breweries – in Freo and Geelong – has dabbled with brewpubs overseas too, and in May 2023, saw its branding replace that of Bevy at The Camfield near Perth Stadium when Lion decided to shutter the latter brand.

The quirkier little sibling to Little Creatures, White Rabbit started out in Healesville, with a brewery tucked behind the Giant Steps winery that's now home to Matilda Bay. Following Lion's acquisition of parent company Little World Beverages, White Rabbit moved into a factory next door to Little Creatures in Geelong where the brewers set about building a significant barrel program. They continue to make some of the most fascinating beers of any of the major brewing company-owned brands, albeit without garnering as much attention as others.

For most people, their experience of Kosciuszko beers will be on tap at Lion-contracted venues or in bottles (and more recently cans) found widely across Australia. But the brewery's story started at the Banjo Paterson Inn in Jindabyne, where Chuck Hahn oversaw installation of a 1600-litre brewery in 2009.

Stone & Wood was launched by three mates, who previously worked together at CUB, in partnership with a Northern Rivers publican. The brewery and went on to become the largest independent brewing company in Australia other than Coopers. Their Pacific Ale helped change the face of the local beer scene, while the founders' decision to create multi-brand umbrella company Fermentum – the entity bought by Lion – is one example of the "indie families" of drinks brands today found in Australia.

A partnership between Stone & Wood and former Mountain Goat rep Tom Delmont, Fixation was launched as an IPA-only brand at a time when IPAs were starting to find a wider audience. The brand has gone on to collect multiple major trophies and awards (and release the occasional non-IPA too), as well as opening a home in Collingwood called The Incubator. Fixation became part of Lion when parent company Fermentum was sold in 2021.

One of the longest-established of Lion's brewpub-based operations, the Eumundi Brewery was built on the site of the historic Imperial Hotel in Eumundi in the Sunshine Coast. Today, it is one of more than 20 breweries in the region. At time of writing, it was one of Lion's brewpub-based brands to survive the cull that put paid to Tiny Mountain and Bevy.

Before Stone & Wood launched in Byron Bay, there was already a Byron Bay Brewery, one which nabbed a couple of AIBA trophies when former Stone & Wood and now Balter head brewer Scotty Hargraves was at the helm. It was bought by Lion in 2016, since when its hospitality venue has closed with COVID cited as the reason. The clear-bottled Byron Bay Brewery Premium Lager remains available from major retailers.

One of the first of the newer craft brands to appear from Pinnacle Drinks in recent years, the Zytho name has been attached to a broad range of beers, from IPA and pales to stouts. It was on track in 2021 to become the biggest seller of all of the Endeavour Group's homebrand beers, usurping the longstanding John Boston.

First released in February 2022, this pale ale brewed for EDG by Brick Lane – seemingly a rebadged version of the brewer's One Love Pale Ale – is one of six drinks under the Loud & Proud banner. Sales of the drinks help raise funds for Pride Foundation Australia.

As 2023 drew to a close with a rush of new ginger beers hitting the market, Pinnacle Drinks created one for Dan Murphy's and BWS, with theirs also featuring pineapple and vanilla.

Largo's beers were added to the Pinnacle Drinks portfolio in 2023. The brand is a partnership with musicians Lime Cordiale.

The Endeavour Group entered the world of non-alc beer with this XPA.

While Coles have contracted brewers to create homebrand beers for them for many years, the Tinnies brand is the one where they appear to be training greatest focus. Some of the beers brewed for them by Brick Lane have won major trophies both here and overseas and, at time of writing, a large Tinnies banner sits atop the craft beer page on the Liquorland online store. In spring 2021, Coles also presented a beer created with Moon Dog as a Tinnies collaboration.

One of the true trailblazers of Australian beer, Feral have been responsible for changing the palates of many Australian drinkers while also pushing the envelope for Aussie beer. Their Hop Hog introduced many to punchy American hops for the first time, while they were among the earliest locals to play around with barrels, sour beers, barleywines and more. In 2017, the brewing company was acquired by Coca-Cola Amatil before transitioning to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, who closed the original Swan Valley brewpub in October 2021 before announcing they were to exit the Australian beer market altogether a month later.

The SA brewery, which is part of a wider booze and hospitality operation including Lot 100, Hills Cider and Adelaide Hills Distillery, had made a fine name for itself by the time it became part of a sale to Mighty Craft worth $20m plus 27m in shares in 2021, regularly picking up awards across the country for their consistently excellent beers.

Better Beer was launched by The Inspired Unemployed, Nick Cogger of Torquay Beverages, and Mighty Craft. The brand has gone on to enjoy rapid growth, becoming the biggest of the brands in which Mighty Craft is invested.

Slipstream Brewing was launched by Deale and Elisa Stanley-Hunt in 2017, with the Brisbane brewery best known for their hop-forward beers and popular, and mighty impressive venue in Yeerongpilly. Mighty Craft first invested in the brewery in 2019, later upping their stake.

Shawn Sherlock co-founded FogHorn in 2014, later partnering with Mighty Craft in 2019 when his fellow founder exited the Newcastle-based operation. In mid-2023, Mighty Craft announced plans for an imminent sale of their share in the brewery, with Shawn planning to remain at the helm of FogHorn and continue producing his award-winning beers.

Fortitude Brewing launched in Mt Tamborine in 2012, later creating sibling brand Noisy Minor as a a means of releasing more experimental beers. The operation became the first new beer brand acquisition for the Catchment Group when the founders sold to Catchment Brewing Co in 2022.

Catchment is one of a number of breweries found in and around Brisbane's West End, with a bar facing onto Boundary Street and a small brewery setup at the rear. Since buying Fortitude Brewing and Noisy Minor in 2022, the owners were involved in the acquisition of Ballistic as it came out of administration.

Ballistic Beer Co launched with a bang, claiming awards success early on, and setting out on a path to become a major player in the local craft beer world. They opened a West End venue and a brewpub in Springfield in addition to their Salisbury HQ before acquiring two more brewing businesses in Bargara and the Whitsundays. Ballistic took some investment from Mighty Craft but later entered voluntary administration in January 2023. The brewing operation exited administration as part of the Catchment Group.

Founded in 2004, Gage Roads has grown to become one of Australia's largest independent breweries. For a period, Woolies had a 25 percent shared in the WA business, but Gage Roads bought their share back in 2016. They operate both a significant production brewery and a superb 1500-capacity venue on the Walyalup Waterfront in Freo.

Founded in Broome, Matso's became well-known nationally for beers featuring various fruits, ginger and chilli. Their spiritual home is a brewpub in Broome, although after brewing most of their volume of beers brewed at Good Drinks' production site for many years, they were acquired by Good Drinks in 2018. More recently, they've been planning to open a brewpub on the Sunshine Coast.

Atomic Pale Ale was Gage Roads' flagship beer before being spun off into a separate brand initially focused on all things hops. Over time, it has become Good Drinks' home for more experimental releases, including Lemon Whip Sour which won a GABS People's Choice trophy. While much of Atomic's volume comes out of Good Drinks' Freo brewery, they also operate a colourful brewpub in the inner Sydney suburb of Redfern.

If Atomic was designed as the Good Drinks brand to sate the desires of craftier beer drinkers, Alby has its sights set very much on the mainstream. The home of straightforward lagers, it sells by the truckload at Perth Stadium, where Good Drinks secured pouring rights.

Riders Lite is a new lifestyle-oriented brand released in the second half of 2023 by Good Drinks. Sold in clear bottles, it puts its low carb, low calorie, high in electrolytes stats front and centre.

Wilde started out brewing gluten-free beers under contract with Tribe and was later acquired by the business in 2018. The Wilde GF range was expanded to include flavoured hop waters and other non-beer products.

Mornington Peninsula Brewery was launched by two mates in 2010, two years after they'd pledged to open a brewery on Grand Final day. They quickly built up a fanbase for beers initially brewed by Andrew "AG" Gow and, following the opening of a larger production brewery, sold to Tribe in 2018. Founder Matt Bebe later left his role at Tribe to return to Mornington Peninsula's initial brewpub, reuniting with AG at Tar Barrel, a brewery and distillery, with the MPB brand remaining part of Tribe.

Stockade Brew Co was developed by the team at Tribe, evolving from the Macarthur Grange brand and becoming one of the earlier members of the Marrickville brewery scene with a barrel room and bar that opened in 2018. They picked up a number of trophies, notably for some exquisite barrel-aged beers, but the venue was closed when Tribe went into administration in 2023.

One of the elder statesmen of the brewing scene in Sydney's west, Wayward was launched by Peter Philip as a contract brewing operation, turning heads with early releases like the Charmer Red IPA. They now operate a unique brewpub with rooms cut into concrete vats that used to house wine. They've won many trophies over the years, most notably for their Raspberry Berliner Weisse. In October 2022, they formed the Local Drinks Collective with Batch.

Batch Brewing are pioneers of the Inner West Sydney scene, first throwing open the doors of their Marrickville home in 2013 with the intention of creating a community hub and focusing on small batch releases. They've since opened Small Batch, a smaller brewpub in Petersham, that allows them to create more experimental beers. They later acquired Bucket Boys, which has given them a third venue in the Sydney CBD, before forming the Local Drinks Collective with Wayward in 2022.

Launched initially as a contract operation with the name McLaren Vale Beer Company, they first came to wider attention when Vale Ale topped an early Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers poll. They later opened a brewery in the McLaren Vale and, in 2017, were bought by SA beverage producer Bickford's.

Fox Hat was created as an offshoot to Vale Brewing: a place for them to release more experimental and ofter higher ABV or barrel-aged beers. As with Vale, Fox Hat beers have enjoyed trophy success over the years, often for the various versions of their Mongrel stouts.

Hobo Brewing is a brand created in-house at VOK Beverages. The focus is on easy-going, approachable styles, such as a lager, session ale and pales.

Initially borne out of a desire to create a beer for music festival operator Sunset Events, Otherside has transitioned from brewery without a home to one of the major players in WA's beer scene. The beers coming out of their colourful Myaree home are some of the most consistently top-notch in the state – and have the acclaim and awards to prove it. They're also found at the group's venues, including Freo.Social, Mojos and, from late 2023, an Otherside bar at Perth Airport, with Nowhereman's West Leederville brewpub becoming an Otherside venue following the merger.

Nowhereman was brought to life by Reece Wheadon, a local who'd been pouring heart and soul into the WA beer scene even before he started his brewpub-based adventure. Their West Leederville home is one of the liveliest and most inclusive you'll find anywhere in Australia, and no matter who the head brewer has been the beers have been worthy of such a home. For the vast majority of the brewery's life, Reece has had former beer writer Pia Poynton by his side, becoming Nowhereman's director of operations by the time they joined Triple-1-Three.