# Founders Brewery — Nelson

> Founders Brewery in Nelson, New Zealand scores 2.81 out of 5 — Limited, #198 in New Zealand. 54 beers tracked, mostly IPA.

*Canonical page: <https://finding.beer/brewery/founders-brewery-34159/> · data updated 2026-08-22*

Breadcrumb: Breweries → New Zealand → Founders Brewery

Founders Brewery is a brewery in Nelson, New Zealand. We grade it Limited, with a score of 2.81 out of 5 on the beer it brews — #198 in New Zealand. Of the 54 beers we track, 42% are IPA and 25% Pale Lager.

## Rating

- Score: 2.81 out of 5
- Grade: Limited 😕 — Most craft beer drinkers pass these by.
- Ranked: #198 in New Zealand · #24,611 worldwide
- Popularity: Lightly rated
- Beers tracked: 54

## About

Spanning over 6 generations and almost twice as many brewers, Founders has been brewing beer in Nelson for almost 160 years.

During this exciting period of global innovation our great-great-great-grandad, great uncles, uncles, and father were all at the forefront of brewing innovation, or as we call it “Brewervation”.

Our beer is a celebration of that innovation, both in and out of the brewery. We recognise that sometimes the ideas that don’t work are just as important as those that do and without that innovative spirit we’d be without many of the things we have today.

Maybe even beer.
Callum & Matt Duncan.


## What they brew

- IPA — 42% of the beers we track
- Pale Lager — 25% of the beers we track
- Pale Ale — 20% of the beers we track
- Stout / Porter — 4% of the beers we track
- Amber Ale — 4% of the beers we track
- Other — 3% of the beers we track
- Brown Ale — 2% of the beers we track

## Find them

- Address: 87 Atawhai Drive, Nelson, New Zealand
- Coordinates: -41.26158969999999, 173.2964681
- Website: http://foundersbrewery.co.nz/

## Same owner

- Part of [Asahi Breweries](https://finding.beer/brewery/asahi-breweries-7433.md)
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- [Dark Star Brewing Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/dark-star-brewing-co-34920.md) — London, England
- [Fuller's Griffin Brewery](https://finding.beer/brewery/fullers-griffin-brewery-8875.md) — London, England
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## Breweries nearby

- [Flavourtorium](https://finding.beer/brewery/flavourtorium-25899.md) — 3.84, Fine — Nelson — 0.9 mi away
- [HorseBox](https://finding.beer/brewery/horsebox-11942.md) — 3.06, Limited — Nelson — 1 mi away
- [Acoustic Brewery](https://finding.beer/brewery/acoustic-brewery-31174.md) — 3.60, Poor — Nelson — 1.5 mi away
- [Bays Brewery](https://finding.beer/brewery/bays-brewery-34160.md) — 2.81, Limited — Nelson — 3.7 mi away
- [The Workshop](https://finding.beer/brewery/the-workshop-22182.md) — 3.01, Limited — Nelson — 3.7 mi away
- [McCashin's Brewery](https://finding.beer/brewery/mccashins-brewery-27053.md) — 2.86, Limited — Nelson — 5.4 mi away
- [Eddyline Brewery NEW ZEALAND](https://finding.beer/brewery/eddyline-brewery-new-zealand-17167.md) — 3.84, Fine — Richmond, Nelson — 7 mi away
- [Sprig + Fern Brewing Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/sprig-fern-brewing-co-7104.md) — 3.71, Fine — Nelson — 7.6 mi away

## Rankings this brewery appears in

- [Best breweries in New Zealand](https://finding.beer/breweries/new-zealand.md)

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Finding Beer scores breweries on the beer they brew rather than on the venue. Method: <https://finding.beer/how-we-rank.md>. Rankings by place: <https://finding.beer/breweries.md>. The iPhone app adds a live map of what is around you: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/finding-beer/id1082135126