Coles taps into carbon-negative beer with Lost Lager

An Australian-made, carbon negative beer made with unsold bread from Coles supermarkets is squaring up to some of the best-known beer brands in the country while tapping into surging customer demand for beverage makers taking tangible action on climate change.

Lost Lager is a premium brew created in collaboration between Coles Liquor and BrewDog Australia – the Brisbane operation of Scottish carbon negative brewer.

The packaging for Lost Lager is 99% plastic-free and any emissions BrewDog is unable to avoid through the production process are ‘double offset’ through tree planting schemes around the world.

Coles’ research shows that one in two customers care deeply about the environment and the majority want to do more, while 50% say they have changed what they buy in response to the packaging of a product.¹

Coles Liquor Acting General Manager Customer, Trade Planning and Insights Mia Lloyd said customers frequently told Team Members in Liquorland and First Choice Liquor Market stores that they wanted to support brands that were taking action on the environment.

“Lost Lager will be hugely popular with customers given the easy-drinking style of the beer and BrewDog’s commitment to the environment and climate change,” Ms Lloyd said.

“This is not a fleeting consumer trend, it’s a force that our customers are driving and we can already see support for brands that have moved early to embrace sustainable packaging, waste reduction or renewable power.”

Additionally, BrewDog invests in a number of significant reforestation projects, including the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor in Western Australia. This is the only emission reduction project in Australia to be certified under the prestigious Gold Standard accreditation, a globally-recognised best practice benchmark.

Locally, BrewDog donates the grain used in the brewing process to farmers as an alternative feedstock. Internationally, they are also the proud owner of over 9000 acres of Scottish highlands which will be home to a reforestation and peatland restoration project to sequester carbon.

The brewer’s Australian CEO Ed Bott said the Lost Lager was a premium lager, similar in style to a German pilsner and created to deliver a craft option for Australian lager lovers.

“Lager accounts for 90% of beer consumed in Australia, and our Lost Lager connects with the premiumisation of this broad segment of the beer market,” Mr Bott said.

Lager has been at the forefront of beer sales growth for years. With recent consumer demand shifting towards premium lager, hospitality venues and hotels have seen growing consumption.

As such, premium lager is one of the fastest-growing product segments in recent years, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 4.5% from 2019 to 2025.²

“It’s still in its infancy but lager is the last bastion for craft beer and we’re confident the fresh, uncomplicated style of this beer will prove hugely popular with customers who are seeking something more from their lager,” Mr Bott said.

“We see how engaged our Australian customers are in relation to issues such as waste and emissions reduction and while we know we can’t save the world on our own, we’re proud that we’re doing our bit here in Australia and around the globe.”