Lion
Auckland, New Zealand · Est. 1923
Tally's Take
Why this matters
Steinlager's green bottle became a national symbol on the back of a rugby win — the kind of marketing money genuinely cannot buy.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1923Founded
Lion begins brewing in Auckland.
- 1987Milestone
New Zealand's largest brewer and producer of Steinlager, whose green bottle became a national symbol after the 1987 Rugby World Cup.
- 2009Kirin takes full control
Lion Nathan shareholders vote for a complete takeover by Kirin Holdings in September 2009, with the merged entity formally established that October. Australasia's largest brewer passes into Japanese ownership.
The Beer Library
Beers
Steinlager
Year-RoundPale Lager
Born from a dare: New Zealand's finance minister restricted beer imports and challenged local brewers to make an international-grade lager. They did, and it started winning gold overseas.
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How it changed hands
1 recorded move- 1923Founded
- 2009Kirin takes full control
Lion Nathan shareholders vote for a complete takeover by Kirin Holdings in September 2009, with the merged entity formally established that October. Australasia's largest brewer passes into Japanese ownership.
Today the chain tops out at Kirin Holdings (Lion).
Show your working
Sources
- controlConfirmed
Lion is controlled by Public company.
Kirin Report 2025 · Kirin Holdings · 2025
PrimaryHigh reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-05Reviewed 2026-08-05
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about Lion
- Who owns Lion?
- Lion is owned by Kirin Holdings (Lion). Lion is based in Auckland, New Zealand.
- Is Lion still independent?
- No. Lion is owned by Kirin Holdings (Lion) and is no longer independent.
- When was Lion acquired?
- 2009. Lion Nathan shareholders vote for a complete takeover by Kirin Holdings in September 2009, with the merged entity formally established that October. Australasia's largest brewer passes into Japanese ownership.
- When was Lion founded?
- Lion was founded in 1923 in Auckland, New Zealand.
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