Colonial Brewing Co becomes CBCo Brewing

Founded in Margaret River in 2004 on Noongar Booja Land, the craft brewer Colonial Brewing Co has announced a name change to better reflect modern tastes. It will now be known simply as CBCo Brewing, with the name to start appearing on all new cans immediately.

The new name, a long-time internal moniker, aims to remove the divisive reference ‘Colonial’ while retaining a nod
to its 18-year brand heritage in a manner more appropriate for today.

CBCo Brewing Managing Director Lawrence Dowd said the former name had referred to the original brewer colonising the iconic Margaret River wine region, and was inherited by CBCo’s owner Morris Group when it purchased the brewery in 2008.

He acknowledged that over time the name had become problematic and that a review of it had taken place as part of a program of upgrades and investment to support the brand’s growth.

“As we have evolved so has the world — for the better. We recognise that the name Colonial Brewing Co no longer aligns with the respect we have for, and the value we place on the rich cultural traditions and talents of Indigenous people. Nor does it connect or reflect on who we are as a business and those who work here. To continue to take pride in our craft, our name is an important detail to get right.”

While the process started last month to remove the old name, Dowd said the transition would take six to 12 months for all mentions of Colonial to be changed as retailers sell through remaining stock.