Cricketers Arms strikes again

Will Cricketers Arms become the Blue Moon of the Australian craft beer market? Billed a more mainstream craft beer brand, sales of Cricketers Arms have jumped off the back of a recent revamp.

Acquired by Asahi Premium Beverages 18 months ago, Cricketers Arms was relaunched at Melbourne Cricket Ground at the end of November 2014.

Three out of four of the Cricketers Arms beers won bronze medals at the 2014 CBIA Craft Beer Awards and recent sales results provided another vote of confidence.

Along with new livery and branding and some recipe tweaks, the Cricketers Arms range has expanded to four beers with the addition of Spearhead Pale Ale, which alongside Keeper’s Lager will be the focus in draught format.

Observers say Cricketers Arms is up about 30 percent on last year and the Pale Ale is doing very well from a standing start. It’s early days still as total sales are estimated to be 16,000 hl.

Alas, Cricketers Arms is having the same difficulties with getting draught beer into pubs as was reported by the ARCBA (see article “More power to craft beers”), however, Cricketers Arms enjoys the advantage that it can coattail onto Asahi Super Dry, another brand in the stable, which pretty much sells itself.