The brewing sector says beer bottlers will recover -- once borders reopen

The owner of West Coast Brewery in Westport is selling up - after his bid to gain a visa to stay in the country was declined during the pandemic.

Lion is also closing its Harrington Brewery in Christchurch, and Monteiths has stopped its operations in Greymouth.

Brewers Association executive director Dylan Firth is confident the industry should mostly recover, once foreign tourists return.

He says the sector will likely see a return to near normal next year, as international visitors tend to spend plenty of money on beer.