Last Updated: 16 February 2026

Key Takeaways

• The Origin: Founded in Adelaide in 2014, Pirate Life launched in the UK in 2016 and changed the game for imported craft beer.
• The Vibe: Known for aggressive hopping, 500ml “tallboy” cans, and bringing West Coast flavours to Australian brewing.
• The Beers: A breakdown of their core range, including the sessionable Throwback IPA and the mighty IIPA.

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Updated: February 2026

Pirate Life Brewing—whenever I hear this name, I’m reminded of how they completely shook up the English beer market when they arrived.

It is always great to hear of breweries bringing something new to the table, but looking back, it is hard to believe it has been so long since they first dropped anchor in the UK. Before their arrival, we didn’t hear much about Australian brewing, other than the usual suspects like Little Creatures. We certainly hadn’t seen anything this exciting come out of Australia pre-craft beer movement.

But since then, we have seen a massive shift across the world with exciting breweries providing their cities with something fresher and quality-driven. Leading that charge from Down Under was undoubtedly Pirate Life Brewing.

The British Invasion (2016)

The award-winning Australian brewery launched its hop-driven core range of beers in the UK back in December 2016.

Founded in Adelaide, South Australia, in 2014 by brewers Jared Proudfoot and Jack Cameron (along with Jack’s father Michael as CEO), the brewery made waves instantly. They even won the “Best New Brewery in Australia” prize from the prestigious Ratebeer website the same year they opened.

Writing on their blog at the time of the launch, the Pirate Life Crew said:

“We never thought that less than two years after throwing open our doors and unleashing our beers upon Australians we would be taking our beer overseas.

Earlier this year our beers sailed across the Tasman and launched in neighbouring New Zealand, with Kiwis embracing our Aussie brews. Then a couple of weeks back we landed in Hong Kong and discovered that the thirst for hoppy ales in Asia was as strong as anywhere in the world.

So it made sense that the next step would be the country which links both New Zealand and Hong Kong with our own… Great Britain.”

Their launch kicked off with a series of tap takeovers, including a legendary night at Mason & Company in East London, and marked the start of their distribution wing, Pirate Life Europe.

The Beers: A Core Range Review

The beers that launched in the UK have since become staples in bottle shops and fridges across the country. Here is a breakdown of the core lineup that put them on the map.

1. Pale Ale (5.4% ABV)

This is Pirate Life’s Aussie riff on the West Coast US classic. It uses Mosaic and Cascade hops to combine flavours of citrus and tropical fruits with biscuity sweet malts.

Verdict: It has that perfect balance. It pairs with everything, from a burger to a BBQ.

2. Throwback IPA (3.5% ABV)

This low-alcohol session IPA fuses Crystal and Simcoe hops from the United States with Cascade from New Zealand.

Verdict: Throwback IPA provides a tasty hit of fresh citrus and gooseberry at a strength that means you can easily “throw back” a few cans. It is a great alternative if you want flavour without the heavy ABV of a DIPA (or if you aren’t quite ready for an alcohol-free option just yet).

3. IPA (6.8% ABV)

Brewed to bridge the gap between their Pale Ale and the monster IIPA, Pirate Life’s IPA fuses Centennial and Riwaka hops to impart flavours of tropical fruit and lemon zest.

Verdict: Punchy, resinous, and exactly what an IPA should be.

4. IIPA (8.8% ABV)

This is the big one. The IIPA brings 500 millilitres of pure hop opulence thanks to huge additions of Centennial, Columbus, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops.

Verdict: This powerfully aromatic beer is a hophead’s dream come true. It is dangerous, delicious, and best enjoyed slowly.

FAQ: Pirate Life Brewing

Where is Pirate Life Brewing from? Pirate Life was founded in Adelaide, South Australia. They started in a warehouse in Hindmarsh before expanding to a massive site in Port Adelaide as demand skyrocketed.

Who owns Pirate Life Brewing? While founded by Jack Cameron and Jared Proudfoot, the brewery was acquired by CUB (Carlton & United Breweries) in 2017, which is now part of the Asahi Beverages family. This helped them expand their distribution globally.

Why are Pirate Life cans so big? Pirate Life was one of the first craft breweries to popularise the 500ml “tallboy” can in Australia. They believed (correctly!) that a standard 330ml can just wasn’t enough for a sessionable Pale Ale or a complex IIPA.