[citation needed] The brewery also includes a chain of "Speight's Ale House" gastropubs across the country.

By 1887 it had become the largest brewery in New Zealand, and had expanded to a sufficient size that it exported beer to Australia and the Pacific Islands.

In 1923, Speight's merged with nine other breweries to form New Zealand Breweries—in the same year, founder William Dawson died.

In 1960, New Zealand Breweries rebranded to Lucky Beer in an attempt to simplify the range, however this change lasted only two months before the Speight's brand name was re-established in October of that year.

The Speight's brewery building is a prominent landmark in Central Dunedin, located just to the west of The Exchange at the corner of Rattray and Maclaggan Streets and extending up the hill into City Rise.

Speight's later built a loose replica of this building in Mt Eden, Auckland, as part of its national marketing scheme.