Colonial Brewing Co Issue Statement After Beers Yoinked From Boutique Grog Shop Shelves

After boutique bottle shop chain Blackhearts & Sparrows publicly dropped the Colonial Brewing Co (CBCo) range amid discussions with customers about the brewery’s name, Colonial Brewing Co has issued a statement detailing internal discussions around the brand’s name.

In the statement, CBCo Managing Director Lawrence Dowd recognised and acknowledged the “significant stress and angst surrounding the Black Lives Matter community built to bring justice, healing and freedom to people of colour across the globe.” He also acknowledged that the company has had “significant messages and comments” in regards to the brewery’s name and its associations with Australia’s history of colonialism and injustices against First Nations people.

The statement said that the CBCo team has been in a review process for the last six months to explore and understand what options they have in regards to the name and its historical meaning.

“Over the past 6 months, Colonial Brewing Co have undertaken a process to review and understand the options we have to approach the name considering the historical meaning,” the statement read.

“The process includes consultations with the appropriate parties to ensure a considered outcome is reached. The process is extremely important to us, one which we haven’t approached lightly.”

A spokesperson from CBCo told PEDESTRIAN.TV these consultations with the Morris Family – who bought CBCo in 2008 – include local Indigenous Elders and communities, alongside customers and key partners to find an appropriate solution, and that a name change is an option that is being explored.

Read the full statement from CBCo below.

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