XXXX Brewery, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

I love good brewery tours. Learning about the brewing process; what makes this particular beer different from all the others; tasting the various beers brewed on the premises; these are all fun and interesting. But what makes a tour special is when you learn not only about the beer, but also about the community in which the beers are made. A good example of this is the tour at the XXXX Brewery in Brisbane, Australia.

Travel to an Australian state other than Queensland and order a ‘Fourex’, and they will assume that you are a Queenslander; the beer is that much a part of the Queensland landscape. So much so that in 2004, when the state’s National Trust named its first-ever 12 icons of Queensland, Mr. Fourex, the official mascot of XXXX beer and the Castlemaines Perkins Brewing Company, was among those named.

Located in the Milton neighbourhood of Brisbane, minutes from the city centre, the one hour and fifteen minute tour explores more than 130 years of brewing history through an enjoyable and informative interactive presentation.

Unlike many tours that just present the brewing process and information about its beers, the XXXX tour explores more than the requisite history of the brewery and its brews; it also examines the brewery’s place in the development of Brisbane, of Queensland, and of Australia. The brewery grew up with the city that surrounds it, and that relationship is reflected in the tour.

The interactive experience does take visitors through the brewing process, learning about the history of brewing, and allows visitors into the southern hemisphere’s largest single packaging line. Along the way, you’ll take a trip in time through Castlemaine Perkins long history. In the packaging museum, visitors are able to see the development of the packaging design, from the early days of XXX Sparkling Ale (Fourex didn’t arrive until 35 years later) to today’s XXXX Gold and XXXX Bitter.

Mr. Fourex himself even shows up at one point to explain the modern brewing process. And after taking in an informative multi-media presentation, the tour ends in the XXXX Ale House where guests can try up to four of the brewery’s offerings in beautiful wood and copper surroundings (children get complimentary soft drinks).

Tours are given weekdays, on the hour, from 10am to 4pm, with an extra 6pm tour on Wednesday evenings. Saturday tours are available at 10:30am, 11am and 12 noon, though the packaging areas are not operating on the weekend.

The cost is $20 per adult, including four 285ml glasses of beer, and $12 for non-drinking adults and children under 18.

Overall, a highly recommended tour that allows visitors to learn not only about the brewing process, but also about the brewery’s place in the development of the city of Brisbane and the state of Queensland.