On Stone & Wood's official history page, Lion Pty Ltd is mentioned 0 times. The brand tells a story of Australian origin while the corporate reality is carefully omitted.
Stone & Wood built one of Australia's most beloved craft identities. Then Lion bought it — and kept everything exactly the same.
Stone & Wood was a genuine Byron Bay craft brewery, founded in 2008 by three friends. It built real community: Pacific Ale became a cult product on its own merits. The camouflage is that Lion acquired it in 2021 and changed nothing visible — same branding, same Byron Bay story, same "founded by three mates" narrative. The only thing that changed was where the profits go.
Since 2021, all profit from Stone & Wood flows to Lion, then to Kirin Holdings in Tokyo. The Byron Bay brewery still operates, but it's a production facility for a Japanese multinational, not an independent business.
Founded 2008 by Brad Rogers, Jamie Cook and Ross Jurisich. Grew organically on the strength of Pacific Ale. Sold to Lion in March 2021 for an undisclosed sum. The founders departed. Lion retained all branding and marketing to avoid consumer backlash.
At the premium craft price point (typically $22–28/6-pack), Stone & Wood buyers are paying a significant premium they associate with independence and locality. That premium now flows to Kirin.
Modus Operandi (Mona Vale), Sailor's Grave (Gippsland), genuinely independent Northern Rivers breweries.
