Shane Warne launches Moa brew

Craft brewer Moa has gone into business with Australian cricket legend Shane Warne.

The NZX-listed brewery and former international cricketer have teamed up to develop a pale ale - called 99 Not Out - which will be introduced at an event in Melbourne tonight.

The product will be available only in Australia.

Moa chief executive Geoff Ross said the partnership had not required any up-front payments and Warne would take a share of 99 Not Out's profits.

"It's a true business agreement," he said.

"The more he pushes it [the beer] the better it is for him."

Ross, who said he met Warne through a "friend of a friend", would not disclose the details of the profit-sharing arrangement.

He said tonight's launch of the beer at Club 23 in Melbourne's Crown Casino - an area of the casino dedicated to Warne - was a major marketing opportunity for Moa.

"I know Shane is a polarising character for a lot of Kiwis but in Australia he's still seen as one of the best cricketers to ever play for Australia," Ross said.

"His Twitter following is 1.3 million."

Ross said all of the Australian television networks had confirmed their attendance at tonight's Melbourne event.

Moa is placing increased focus on Australia.

In September the company took over responsibility for sales in that market - work previously undertaken by a third-party distributor.

The tiny Marlborough beer-maker now has two internal sales staff based in Sydney, one of whom is former Black Cap Daryl Tuffey.

Moa yesterday announced it had secured Australian distribution with two of the country's largest alcohol distributors, Australian Liquor Marketers and Independent Liquor Group.

Under the new arrangement, five Moa products, including 99 Not Out, will be stocked in 181 Dan Murphy's liquor stores.

The company also said Moa kegs would be supplied to selected on-premise venues run by ALH Group, which operates more than 300 licensed establishments in Australia.

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Ross said the new distribution arrangement was a "step-change" for Moa across the Tasman and Australia had the potential to become one of the company's biggest export markets. The United States is currently its biggest overseas market.

Moa shares - which have slumped since the company revealed in August that its annual sales volumes would be 30 per cent lower than expected - closed up 4c at 67c last night.