Boag's Brewery (J. Boag & Son) is an Australian

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...

company founded in 1883 by James Boag and his son, also named James, in

Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk River, North Esk and South Esk River, South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River, Tasmania, Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, the Launc ...

, Australia. It is now owned by

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

, a Trans-Tasman subsidiary company of Japanese beverage conglomerate, Kirin. All of the company's beers are produced in Launceston.

History

19th century

James Boag I arrived in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

with his wife, Janet, and their four children in 1853 from

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. After three months in the Victorian goldfields, they came to

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

. After he and his son James Boag II left the Cornwall Brewery in 1878, James II went into partnership with John Glenwright at the Cataract Brewery an James I became the licensee of the All Year Round Hotel. In 1881, the Esk Brewery was established on the banks of the

North Esk River The North Esk River is a major perennial river located in the northern region of Tasmania, Australia. Location and features It is one of the tributaries of the Tamar River together with the South Esk River. It starts in the Northallerton Valle ...

in Launceston by Charles Stammers Button. John Fawns died, and James Boag III was born. In 1883, James I and his son took over the Esk Brewery.Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies (2006
"Boag Family"
in ''The Companion to Tasmanian History'' J. Boag & Son was officially formed in 1883, as the partnership between James Boag I and his son, to operate the brewery. The company's initial output was seven

hogshead A hogshead (abbreviated "hhd", plural "hhds") is a large Barrel (storage), cask of liquid (or, less often, of a food commercial Product (business), product) for manufacturing and sale. It refers to a specified volume, measured in either Imperial ...

s of beer weekly. The name 'Esk Brewery' was retained, although 'Boag's Brewery' became a frequent reference. In 1887, James Boag II began management of the company on the retirement of his father. A new malthouse was built and weekly production had increased to more than 500 hogsheads, with the brewery employing a 30 members of staff. In 1898, J. Boag & Son purchased the Cornwall Brewery and amalgamated it with the Esk Brewery; James Boag I died in 1890.

20th century

James Boag II died in 1919 and was succeeded by James Boag III who had been training at Tooth and Co.'s brewery in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

. In 1924, James Boag III retired temporarily from the company, and returned in 1930 as Managing Director, a position he held until his death in 1944. His obituary in the Examiner reported: "Having been closely connected with business and sporting activities, Mr Boag was known and respected by a wide circle of friends. At the time of his death, he was Managing Director of J. Boag & Son Limited and a Director of Tasmanian Breweries Pty Limited." George Boag, James III's second son, took over James' seat on the Board; he was the last Boag working in the business, retiring in 1976 after the death of his wife.

Since 2000

Esplanade side of the James Boag brewery March 2015

In 2000,

San Miguel Corporation San Miguel Corporation (), abbreviated as SMC, is a Philippine multinational conglomerate with headquarters in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. The company is one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the Philippines. Originally fo ...

acquired J. Boag & Son (previously a

publicly listed company A public company is a company whose ownership is organized via shares of share capital, stock which are intended to be freely traded on a stock exchange or in over-the-counter (finance), over-the-counter markets. A public (publicly traded) co ...

) for $92 million. The existing Tasmanian management was retained to continue running the company; production had increased annually for the previous 3 years and this growth was planned to continue. In 2004, Boag's Brewery was expanded to occupy the complete block enclosed by William, Tamar and Shield Streets and The Esplanade. San Miguel sold J. Boag & Son to Lion Nathan Ltd in November 2007 for $325 million. As of 2010 J. Boag and Son employed over 150 people and produced over of beer annually.

James Boag Brewery Experience

Opening in 1826 and originally named The Lame Dog Hotel; the building would go on to be known as The Golden Lion, The Prince Albert, The Prince Alfred, and finally The Tamar Hotel. The building was bought by The James Boag Brewery in the late 1990s and restored to house the James Boag Brewery Experience (previously Boags Centre for Beer Lovers), from which the James Boag Brewery run daily tours, 7 days a week, as well as a function centre, cafe, and beer garden.

Awards

Australian International Beer Awards

* 2021 - Best Reduced / Low Alcohol Beer – James Boag’s Premium Light

James Boag's Premium

* 1997-2008: Gold medal – International

Monde Selection Monde Selection is an annual non-competitive award open to food, drinks, and cosmetics products, created in 1961. It is run by the commercial company, International Institute for Quality Selections, Brussels Brussels, officially the Brusse ...

* 2007: Crystal Prestige Award – International Monde Selection * 2001-2005: Premium Beer of the Year – Australian Liquor Industry Awards * 2005: Gold medal – New Zealand International Beer Awards * 2000: Gold medal –

Australian International Beer Awards Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) is an annual brewing competition that commenced in 1992. The AIBA is undertaken by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV). Judging of the awards is conducted at Melbourne Showgrounds, wit ...

* 2021-22: Gold medal - Australia’s most premium beer * 2021-22: Frostiest Beer of the Year - Botanic Park Premium Council * 2022-22: Frostiest Beer of the Year - Botanic Park Premium Council (unanimous decision)

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

J Boag & SonBoag's Draught
at sportandhistory.com {{Coord, 41.43268, S, 147.137758, E , format=dms , type:landmark_region:AU-TAS , display=title Kirin brands Australian beer brands Food and drink companies established in 1883 Buildings and structures in Launceston, Tasmania Beer brewing companies based in Tasmania Tasmanian Heritage Register Companies based in Tasmania Australian companies established in 1883 Culture of Tasmania