Malt Shovel Brewery

Lore & Background

The brewery began in 1988 when master brewer Chuck Hahn established the Hahn Brewery, then Australia's largest microbrewery, in a former horse stables and later furniture factory in Camperdown. In 1993, the operation received financial support from Lion, and in late 1998 it was relaunched as the Australian craft-brewing arm of Lion, renamed the Malt Shovel Brewery after James Squire's original brewery tavern, 'The Malting Shovel'. The brewery produces boutique beers in small batches, naming its range of pale ales, ales, and porters 'James Squire' in honor of Australia's first brewer.

Production grew from four million litres in 2003 to 4.74 million litres in 2010. In 2008, the brewery acquired the adjoining building, allowing expansion of production and storage facilities. The company has also established several brewpubs, including the Crafty Squire Brewhouse in Melbourne, Squire's Maiden in Newcastle, Squire's Fortune and Generous Squire in Perth, Curious Squire in North Adelaide, and Charming Squire in Brisbane. In 2017, new brewhouses were opened in Sydney and Hobart.

Reader's Guide

The Malt Shovel Brewery holds a significant place in Australian brewing history as the producer of the James Squire range, which directly references the story of James Squire, Australia's first brewer and hop grower. The brewery's regular offerings include One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale, Nine Tales Original Amber Ale, Four Wives Pilsener, Stowaway India Pale Ale, Jack of Spades Porter, Chancer Golden Ale, and Orchard Crush cider, each with a moniker tied to the Squire narrative. These beers have earned numerous medals at the Australian International Beer Awards and the World Beer Cup, including Champion Australasian Brewery in 2000 and 2003. The brewery also releases limited edition beers under the James Squire brand every three months, as well as limited edition beers under the Malt Shovel Brewers (formerly Mad Brewers) label. Additionally, the Kosciuszko Pale Ale, first brewed at the Kosciuszko Brewery established by Chuck Hahn in Jindabyne, is now produced and bottled at the Malt Shovel Brewery. The brewery's legacy is tied to its role in the Australian craft beer movement and its commemoration of the nation's brewing origins.

Did You Know?

• The brewery was originally established in 1988 as the Hahn Brewery in a former horse stables and furniture factory.
• The James Squire range is named after Australia's first brewer, who also grew the country's first hops.
• Four Wives Pilsener won 'Best Pilsner' at the 2002 Australian International Beer Awards.
• The brewery is generally not open to the public but welcomes visitors each October during Sydney Craft Beer Week.

From Irish Immigrants to Sydney's First Brew

John Thomas Toohey arrived in Melbourne as an Irish immigrant and, in 1869, secured his brewing licence — a modest beginning for what would become one of Australia's most enduring beer names. Together with his brother James Matthew, he had already run two Melbourne pubs, The Limerick Arms and The Great Britain, before the pair relocated to Sydney during the 1860s. Their first brew, Tooheys Black Old Ale, was produced in a small operation near what is now Darling Harbour. Word spread quickly, and by 1875 the brothers' demand had outgrown their original site, prompting the establishment of The Standard Brewery in the inner-city suburb of Surry Hills. The company's trajectory continued upward: in 1902 it went public as Tooheys Limited, and in 1930 it began brewing the lager that would eventually become Tooheys New, the brand most Australians associate with the name. What started as two Irish brothers and a single ale recipe had, within six decades, evolved into a publicly listed brewing enterprise with a flagship product that would define Australian lager for generations.

Corporate Consolidation and the Road to Malt Shovel

The mid-twentieth century saw Tooheys undergo a series of strategic relocations and acquisitions that reshaped its footprint across Sydney. In 1955 the brewery shifted west to Lidcombe, the suburb where it still operates today. A decade later, in 1967, the company acquired rival Miller's Brewers at Taverner's Hill, a site that was eventually shut down by 1975. The most consequential corporate move came in March 1980, when Tooheys merged with Castlemaine Perkins to create Castlemaine Tooheys. Bond Corporation then purchased the combined entity in 1985. In 1990, Lion Nathan took a half-stake in Bond's Natbrew Holdings, and by 1992 held full ownership. During the period between 1993 and 1999, production of Hahn-branded beers was transferred from the Camperdown Hahn Brewery to the Tooheys facility. In 1999, the Camperdown site was renamed Malt Shovel Brewery. The Lion beverages group, which now encompasses these operations, was itself acquired by Japan's Kirin Company in 2009, placing this once family-run Sydney brewery under international corporate stewardship.

A Landmark in Australian Constitutional Law

Few beer companies can claim to have shaped the legal landscape of an entire nation, yet Castlemaine Tooheys did exactly that in 1990. The company found itself as the appellant in Castlemaine Tooheys Ltd v South Australia, a case heard by the High Court of Australia. The dispute centred on a South Australian legislative amendment that imposed a substantial refund value on non-refillable bottles produced outside the state. Because the brewery operated in New South Wales while selling its products into South Australia, the provision effectively penalised interstate brewers with discriminatory financial burdens. The High Court ruled that the law was inconsistent with section 92 of the Australian Constitution, which guarantees free interstate trade. Castlemaine Tooheys successfully invalidated the legislation, establishing a precedent that struck down protectionist measures designed to shield local producers from out-of-state competition. For a brewing company whose primary product is a cold lager, the case stands as an unexpected but significant contribution to Australian commercial law and the principle of a unified national market.

The Beer Behind the Blues

No Australian beer brand is more deeply woven into the fabric of New South Wales sporting culture than Tooheys. The company has served as the principal beer partner of the NSW rugby league team in the State of Origin series, the state's largest annual sporting event, with the Tooheys New logo displayed prominently on the Blues' jersey sleeves and shorts. The team was once known by the sponsored name Tooheys Blues, a nod to the decades-long partnership. Beyond the marquee Origin clashes, Tooheys New sponsors numerous Country Rugby League competitions across the state and is available at virtually every rugby league venue in New South Wales. In the 1990s the company also backed the Tooheys Challenge Cup, a dedicated rugby league competition. The brand's reach extended into other sports: it held naming rights for the Bathurst 1000 from 1988 to 1995 and sponsored the Melbourne Cup from 2001 to 2003. By 2015, Tooheys had also become the major sponsor of rugby union in both New South Wales and Queensland, cementing its status as a cornerstone of Australian sporting identity.

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