Cascade Brewery Tours

Editorial

Poor beer. It has been brewed for thousands of years. The Ancient Egyptians drank it. The Mesopotamians used it in their temples. And yet it has always enjoyed a lesser social status than its historical rival – wine. From the intellectual circles of classical Greece to the fine dining restaurants of our modern metropolises, wine connoisseurs abound while boutique beer devotees fight for similar recognition and social sanction. But a grassroots revolution-in-thought is gathering momentum in South Hobart. At the vanguard is Cascade Brewery, the granddaddy of Tasmania’s cereal fermentation scene, educating the everyman through their visitors centre and guided tours.

These 90 minute tours are conducted several times a day. Not for the faint hearted, nor the faint of palate, visitors get up close and personal with the state’s oldest brewery, its processes in action before their very eyes. Be warned, grown men have been known to weep like babies upon setting their eyes on the source of their joy. Awe-struck tourists are then allowed some down time in the beautiful Woodstock Gardens, before recuperating fully in the tasting room. For more on beer, brewing, and the revolution, visit the website or call (03) 6224 1117.

Sarah Theeboom, March 2007