James Boag brewery to cease production in Tasmania after 145 years

Jun 03, 2026

It’s a bitter finish for a once proud legacy.

For years, James Boag’s beer has traded on being “from the pure waters of Tasmania”, with each bottle representing “the purity and wonder of our island home”. It looks like the brand’s marketing department will soon be facing a massive rewrite job, as that island heritage is about to run dry. The brewery has announced it will be ceasing production at its Tasmanian facility in November.

It marks the end of 145 years of brewing history for the state – the brewery first opened in Launceston all the way back in 1881. Production will instead move to the mainland, with parent company Lion Australian citing declining sales and increasing costs as the reason for the shock closure.

“Long-term decline in the national beer market has caused the brewery to run significantly under capacity for many years – it is currently operating at about a fifth of its capacity,” the company said in a statement. “This combined with significant cost inflation means the brewery is no longer viable.”

James Boag’s Brewery — Workers were said to be “blindsided” by the news.

Forty-two local workers will be affected by the brewery’s closure – some of whom have worked there for more than 20 years. However, the wider Launceston community is also feeling the blow, as James Boag is part of the city’s identity. Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood told the ABC that the news was a “real kick in the guts”.

Lion is now exploring “redeployment opportunities” for these 42 staff, and is proposing to offer a “reskilling fund” to assist those who do not move to other Lion facilities on the mainland. It’s also offering a community fund for local grassroots organisations to sweeten the deal, and will repay the $1 million grant that the Tasmanian Government contributed to the redevelopment of the Boag’s Brewhouse visitor’s centre, which will remain in operation.