Brewery Tours

Here in the land of the wide, brown yard glass, we’ve certainly earned our reputation as fans of beer. What we’ve only just begun to earn, however, is a reputation for serving up a palatable brew. Recent years have seen complexity bubble over into the glass. And so, it’s high-time we enjoyed the high times of beer tasting in situe.

Naturally, ale is a long way off from competing with the cellar door culture of the grape. But lager lovers can pleasure their palates at a few breweries of note.

As a Tasweigan, I may enjoy a little bias with my beer. But you’d have to be bonkers not to agree that Hobart’s Cascade Brewery is shaped to resemble heaven. Built in an endearing faux-German style, this handsome building houses hops and history. You can take a brewing tour or a little course in beer and food matching. I recommend the heritage tour, though. The Cascade company, former lords of Hobart’s water supply, offer a fascinating glimpse into the interwoven histories of grog and colonisation. AT fifteen bucks, it takes about an hour and happens most Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Phone 03 9428 1180 to reach the heard at Mountain Goat in Melbourne’s Richmond for a taste of the technique of this award winning ale. Take the free tour at 6.30 every weeknight but Friday. And, if you’d care to see a large scale operation at work, cough up twenty five bucks to see the production behind our most, ahem, egalitarian beer at Carlton. Phone 03 9420 6800 to book.

You can have a stern word to the folk at Fourex any night of the week. Thirty-six bucks bys you a barbie, a beer and a tour in Brisbane.

Tours of Tooheys in Sydney’s Lidcombe are by appointment on 02 8284 368. You might care for a craft beer appreciation afternoon at Red Oak, the James Squire Brewhouse or the microbrewery tucked in the Macquarie hotel, Schwartz.

And, you might care to ask your friends at Citysearch along for the ride.

SM King, Citysearch