Two years after a debate over Colonial Brewing Co’s name, the independent beer company headquartered in Western Australia has decided to re-brand as CBCo, saying it wants to “reflect modern taste”.
In 2020, the bottleshop chain Blackhearts and Sparrows dropped the product from its shelves after criticism the name romanticised Australia’s colonial history.
Now the craft brewer will be known simply as CBCo Brewing, with the name to start appearing on all new cans immediately, the company has announced.
CBCo Brewing managing director, Lawrence Dowd, said the name had become “problematic” and stopped the company from growing.
“As we have evolved so has the world – for the better,” he said.
“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.”
The new name, a longtime 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, he said.
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 the remaining stock.
“This is an important moment in our story,” he said. “We brew for today’s tastes and we now have a name that better reflects who we are today.
“To continue to take pride in our craft, our name is an important detail to get right.”
Blackhearts and Sparrows did not respond before deadline to questions about whether this name change meant the chain would stock the product again.
“While we appreciate that the people behind Colonial Brewing had no malicious intent in their choice of brand name, words have power,” the owners of Blackhearts and Sparrows said at the time they stopped selling the beers.
“We’ve had discussions with Colonial in the past with concerns about their name.”
