Who owns FOSTERS? by

FOSTERS is owned by

MOLSON COORS

In the United States and Canada

KIRIN BREWERY CO LTD

In New Zealand

HEINEKEN N.V.

In Latin America, Europe, and the former Soviet Union

and

ASAHI HOLDINGS

Everywhere Else

First Brewed

1888

Country of Origin

Australia

Website

Foster’s beer is brewed by many different companies in countries around the world. It was originally created in 1888 by brothers William and Ralph Foster in Melbourne, Australia. The pair of Americans had recently arrived from New York City before starting the brewery. The beer quickly became popular, and was exporting by 1901.

In 1904, Foster’s merged with fellow Australian breweries Carlton, Castlemaine, McCracken’s, Shamrock, and Victoria to form Carlton & United Breweries. The company went public in 1913, and grew in size and importance throughout the 20th century. Throughout this period, the company began licensing its name to breweries around the world. In New Zealand, the beer is currently produced and marketed by Lion, a subsidiary of Kirin. Molson Coors owns the rights in the United States and Canada, and Heineken International owns the rights in Latin America, Europe, and the former Soviet Union states.

In 1983 it was purchased by Elders IXL, which changed its name to Foster’s Group in 1990 to highlight its most popular product. However, in 2004 the name reverted to Carlton & United Beverages. In 2011, SABMiller purchased the company. SABMiller itself was sold to Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2016, but in 2020 they sold the division to Asahi Breweries.