Archive record · Brewery
South Pacific Brewery
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
- Founded
- 1952
- Archive ID
- TB-CSGRNV0B
- Last checked
- 2026-08-05
Who owns this brewery?
The direct owner is recorded. No company is held above it.
- South Pacific BreweryThis brewery
- Heineken N.V.Conglomerate
From the record
Summary
Papua New Guinea's only brewery, producing SP Lager, in a country of more than eight hundred languages where the beer functions as a rare common reference.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
One brewery, eight hundred languages. SP Lager is one of the few things the whole of Papua New Guinea shares.
The Museum
Timeline
- 2012To Heineken with Asia Pacific Breweries
Passes to Heineken in 2012 when it took full control of Asia Pacific Breweries. Heineken Asia Pacific holds around 76%; the Papua New Guinean funds Nasfund and Nambawan Super hold the remaining 24%, so it is not wholly foreign-owned.
The People
Behind the beer
The Beer Library
Beers
SP Lager
Year-RoundPale Lager
South Pacific Lager, from one of the most linguistically diverse countries on Earth — 800-plus languages, one national beer. It has quietly won international brewing awards for decades.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →SP Export Lager
Year-RoundEuropean-style lager
(Year-Round)
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Chiller Tropical
Year-RoundFruit-flavoured beer
(Year-Round)
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Chiller Lemon, Lime & Bitters
Year-RoundFruit-flavoured beer
(Year-Round)
Drank this? Add it to your passport →South Pacific Export Radler
Year-RoundRadler / beer with lemon juice
(UNKNOWN)
Drank this? Add it to your passport →On the record
Awards
- 2021
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 2019
Gold — Niugini Ice
Monde Selection
- 2017
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 2017
Gold — Niugini Ice
Monde Selection
- 2016
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 2016
Gold — Niugini Ice
Monde Selection
- 2015
Gold — SP Lager
Monde Selection
- 2015
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 2014
Gold — SP Lager
Monde Selection
- 2014
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 2013
Gold — SP Lager
Monde Selection
- 2013
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 2012
Gold — SP Lager
Monde Selection
- 2012
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 2011
Gold — SP Lager
Monde Selection
- 2011
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 2011
Gold — Niugini Ice
Monde Selection
- 2008
Gold — SP Lager
Monde Selection
- 2008
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 2008
Gold — Niugini Ice
Monde Selection
- 2007
Gold — SP Lager
Monde Selection
- 2007
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 2007
Gold — Niugini Ice
Monde Selection
- 2006
Gold — SP Lager
Monde Selection
- 2006
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 1996
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 1994
Gold — SP Lager
Monde Selection
- 1994
Gold — SP Export Lager
Monde Selection
- 1967
Gold — SP Lager
Monde Selection
Only awards we could attribute to a named body and year appear here. An empty section means unresearched, not unawarded.
Follow the money
How it changed hands
1 recorded move- 1952Founded
- 2012To Heineken with Asia Pacific Breweries
Passes to Heineken in 2012 when it took full control of Asia Pacific Breweries. Heineken Asia Pacific holds around 76%; the Papua New Guinean funds Nasfund and Nambawan Super hold the remaining 24%, so it is not wholly foreign-owned.
Today the chain tops out at Heineken N.V..
Show your working
Sources
- controlConfirmed
South Pacific Brewery is controlled by Founder / family.
Heineken Holding N.V. Annual Report 2025 · Heineken Holding N.V. · 2026-04
PrimaryHigh reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-05Claim last checked 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 South Pacific Brewery
- Who owns South Pacific Brewery?
- South Pacific Brewery is owned by Heineken N.V.. South Pacific Brewery is based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
- Is South Pacific Brewery still independent?
- No. South Pacific Brewery is owned by Heineken N.V. and is no longer independent.
- When was South Pacific Brewery acquired?
- 2012. Passes to Heineken in 2012 when it took full control of Asia Pacific Breweries. Heineken Asia Pacific holds around 76%; the Papua New Guinean funds Nasfund and Nambawan Super hold the remaining 24%, so it is not wholly foreign-owned.
- When was South Pacific Brewery founded?
- South Pacific Brewery was founded in 1952 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
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