Billson's Brewery collapses after almost 160 years in business

Australian beverages brand Billson's has plunged into voluntary administration as a perfect storm of challenges strikes independent brewers. Independent Brewers Association chief executive Kylie Lethbridge said the industry lobbied the government for relief in this year's federal budget but their calls for a 12-18 month freeze on excise were ignored. It was founded in 1865 and its historic brewery in Beechworth, in the northeast of Victoria, attracted thousands of visitors every year Billson's grew in popularity over the last couple of years with the release of their ready-to-drink canned vodka, craft beer and cordial ranges Two other Aussie breweries went into voluntary administration in just this month alone. Mighty Craft, which owns a 33 per cent share of Better Beer and was one of Australia's leading and fastest growing premium craft drinks companies, collapsed into administration on July 23. The craft beer company's founding director Scott Hunt told Daily Mail Australia ongoing increases in rent, insurance premiums, fuel, electricity, ingredients, freight and a massive decline in customer spending contributed to the collapse.