For Immediate Release.
November 6, 2012
Sale of Emerson’s Brewery
Hashigo Zake is saddened to hear that the owners of Emerson’s Brewery have relented and sold their business to the Kirin
Brewery Company. “Hashigo Zake’s owners, staff and customers have been big supporters of Emerson’s, we’ve collaborated
with the brewery in the past and Richard and other brewery staff have been popular visitors to Hashigo Zake”, said
Dominic Kelly, Proprietor of Hashigo Zake.
Emerson’s have been New Zealand’s best known independent craft brewer. Their sale to foreign interests coincides with a
general shift north for New Zealand craft brewing. “We’re consoled that the next generation of creative brewers are
quickly emerging, particularly in the lower North Island”, added Kelly. “We think our region is the new creative centre
of New Zealand brewing. Significantly this has all happened since Emerson’s new owners closed their last Wellington
brewery (Mac’s) in 2010."
Hashigo Zake will let their current stocks of Emerson’s products run down before the completion of the sale at the end
of November. “We don’t want to find out how long it takes for Kirin to start meddling with the brewery”, said Kelly.
Background. Hashigo Zake is a bar and craft beer distributor in Wellington New Zealand. The 2012 edition of Lonely
Planet describes it as the “headquarters of Wellington’s underground beer movement”.
ENDS