Editing Victoria Bitter (section)

==Sales availability==
According to [[ACNielsen]] in 2009, Victoria Bitter was claimed to be [[Australia|Australia's]] only billion dollar retail beer brand, selling the equivalent of one slab (24 x 375ml cans or bottles) every second. At one time, it sold twice as much as any other full strength beer and was the only Australian beer brand that was in the top 3 sellers in every state.<ref>AC Nielsen MAT to 30 June 2009 – total beer</ref> Victoria Bitter held the highest market share of all [[beer]] sold in Australia for more than two decades, yet in 2012, it lost this position to [[XXXX Gold]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theshout.com.au/2012/05/30/article/XXXX-Gold-knocks-VB-off-its-perch/BPOXVLBPCI.html|title=XXXX Gold knocks VB off its perch|date=30 May 2012|first=James|last=Atkinson|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921165000/http://www.theshout.com.au/2012/05/30/article/XXXX-Gold-knocks-VB-off-its-perch/BPOXVLBPCI.html |archive-date=21 September 2015}}</ref>

In April 2011, VB held 13.7% volume share and XXXX Gold had 11.7%. Just one year on in April 2012, VB had dropped to 12.3%, while XXXX Gold took the lead with 12.4%.<ref name="volumeshare">{{cite news| url=http://www.theage.com.au/business/vb-the-second-best-cold-beer-20120530-1zina.html | newspaper=The Age | title=VB: the second best cold beer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140916234748/http://www.theage.com.au/business/vb-the-second-best-cold-beer-20120530-1zina.html |archive-date=16 September 2014|date=30 May 2012|publisher=Fairfax Media|first=Eli|last=Greenblat}}</ref>

In addition to being sold in Australia, Victoria Bitter is also available in [[New Zealand]], [[Bali, Indonesia]], the [[United Kingdom|UK]], and, to a limited extent, other countries abroad. When the joint venture [[Cambrew Brewery|Angkor Brewing Co.]] was established in [[Cambodia]] in 1992, VB was briefly brewed in [[Sihanoukville (city)|Sihanoukville]], and later imported; it held a significant share of the premium beer market until 1994.

Despite its name, Victoria Bitter is a standard commercial [[lager]] rather than a [[bitter (beer)|bitter]]. Since late 2012, Victoria Bitter has been sold at a strength of 4.9% [[Alcohol by volume|ABV]] after an interim period of producing the same product at an ABV of 4.6% (equal to virtually every other major Australian lager).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,25717068-462,00.html |title=Victoria Bitter to be sold with less alcohol|date=1 July 2009|first=Geraldine|last=Mitchell|newspaper=Herald Sun|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090704070101/http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,25717068-462,00.html |archive-date=4 July 2009}}</ref> The VB sold commercially in New Zealand is both 4.9% and 4.6% available in 375ml quantities in either bottles or cans.

===VB Gold===
{{main|VB Gold}}
[[File:Victoria Bitter midstrength (logo).jpg|frame|The VB Midstrength Lager promotional logo.]]

In 2007, [[Foster's Lager|Foster's]] launched a new, midstrength version of VB called [[VB Gold|VB Midstrength Lager]] with an alcohol volume of 3.5% in order to capitalize on the growing market for midstrength beers, currently dominated by [[XXXX Gold]].<ref>{{cite news | title = Beer-loving Aussies are turning to a softer brew | url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-beer-idUSSYD28729020070501 | date = 2007-05-01 | work = [[Reuters]] | last=Taylor|first=Rob }}</ref> In May 2007, the launch was Foster's first ever mainstream variation of the VB brand.<ref>{{cite news|title=For bitter or worse, VB gets a lager to lighten up|first=Chantal|last=Rumble|newspaper=The Age|publisher=Fairfax Media|date=1 May 2007|page=3}}</ref> In 2009, [[Carlton & United Breweries]] re-branded VB Midstrength to the new name VB Gold, and in 2017, it reduced the alcohol content to 3%.<ref>{{cite news|title=CUB reduces ABV on mid-strength beers |url=https://www.brewsnews.com.au/2017/09/01/cub-reduces-abv-on-mid-strength-beers/ |work = BrewsNews |date=1 September 2017 |author= Matt Kirkegaard |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref>

TV builder [[Scott Cam]], a self-confessed VB fan, is the appointed VB Mid Ambassador.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.fosters.com.au/enjoy/VBmid.htm |title=The best cold beer is... VB MIDSTRENGTH|date=30 April 2007|author=Foster's Group|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124074027/http://www.fosters.com.au/enjoy/VBmid.htm |archive-date=24 January 2010}}</ref>

On 24 July 2007, ''[[The Australian (newspaper)|The Australian]]'' reported that within three months of Fosters launching VB Midstrength, market share for the full strength VB and mid VB had increased.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,22124930-462,00.html|title=VB midstrength spin-off does the trick|newspaper= [[The Australian (newspaper)|The Australian]]|date=24 July 2007|first=Lara|last=Sinclair|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205110200/http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,22124930-462,00.html|archive-date=5 February 2008}}</ref> Foster's regional marketing director Anthony Heraghty hinted at further VB brand extensions, saying Foster's was ''"trying to see past the big green giant"''.

During the [[2008 Rugby League World Cup]], VB Gold was advertised on TV by Australian [[Rugby League]] legends [[Wally Lewis]] and [[Gorden Tallis]].

===VB RAW===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:raw-badge.png|frame|216px|{{deletable image-caption|Tuesday, 24 November 2009}}]] -->
In September 2009, CUB released VB RAW to compete in the low carb market. The alcohol volume was 4.5%. VB Raw was discontinued in late 2010 due to poor sales.

===VB Low Carb===