Castlemaine Perkins

Castlemaine Perkins
Wholly Owned Entity
Industry Beverages
Founded 1878
Headquarters Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Products Beers and lagers
Parent Lion
(Kirin Brewery Company)

Castlemaine Perkins is a brewery located in Milton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is a wholly owned entity of the Japanese-controlled Lion company. Operations began in 1878 and continue today. Castlemaine Perkins is the home of the XXXX beer brand.

History

Brewer and politician Patrick Perkins, 1879

In 1877, brothers Nicholas Fitzgerald and Edward Fitzgerald bought the site of a failing distillery and created a brewery, which they named after an existing brewery that they owned in Castlemaine, Victoria in the Victorian goldfields.[1] They began to brew beer there in the following year and the brewery continues production to this day. The first beverage was called XXX Sparkling Ale.[2]

In 1866, Patrick Perkins started the Perkins Brewery in Toowoomba. In 1872, he later extended his operations to Brisbane with the purchase of the City Brewery in 1872.[3]

The company restricted its operations entirely to brewing by 1916.[4] XXXX was introduced with new advertising campaign in 1924 after the brewery employed German brewer, Alhois William Leitner.[2] The advertising included a depiction of a little man wearing a suit with a smile, a wink and a boater hat. The so-called 'Fourex Man' soon became one of the most recognised symbols in Queensland.[2]

In 1928 (long after the death of Patrick Perkins in 1901), the Perkins brewing company was bought by the Castlemaine Brewery with new company being known as Castlemaine Perkins Limited.[3]

Castlemaine Perkins was acquired in 1992 by drinks conglomerate Lion Nathan.

Building

text
XXXX Brewery, Milton, Brisbane, Australia

The large, brick brewery is located on Milton Road opposite the Milton railway station, and is a prominent landmark visible in the surrounding suburbs. In particular the XXXX red neon sign is mounted on the top of the building. The side of the building also a neon XXXX man on the side (visible on Milton Road when travelling out of the city).

The brewery building, Milton Railway Station and trains feature on almost all XXXX packaging directly below the XXXX logo. Over the years bottle labels have depicted steam, diesel and electric trains. Tours of the brewery are regularly run for groups.

Beverages

Castlemaine's signature beer, XXXX Bitter (despite its name a lager), was introduced in 1924.[1] The XXXX had been used for a sparkling ale since 1878.

XXXX Summer Bright Lager is a 4.2% abv low carb pale lager.[5][6]

See also

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Gregory, Helen (2007). Brisbane Then and Now. Wingfield, South Australia: Salamander Books. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-1-74173-011-1.
  2. 1 2 3 Gregory, Helen; Dianne Mclay (2010). Building Brisbane's History: Structure, Sculptures, Stories and Secrets. Warriewood, New South Wales: Woodslane Press. pp. 200–202. ISBN 9781921606199.
  3. 1 2 "Castlemaine Perkins (Fourex) Brewery". Explore Australia Publishing. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  4. ↑ Hogan, Janet (1982). Living History of Brisbane. Spring Hill, Queensland: Boolarang Publications. p. 47. ISBN 0-908175-41-8.
  5. ↑ http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2010/01/xxxx-summer-bright-lager-2/
  6. ↑ http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/summer-daze-xxxx-goes-low-carb-20090910-fimp.html

Bibliography

  • Deutsher, Keith M. (2012). The Breweries of Australia (2nd ed.). Glebe, NSW: Beer & Brewer Media. ISBN 9780987395214. 
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Castlemaine's History

Coordinates: 27°28′02.94″S 153°00′22.60″E / 27.4674833°S 153.0062778°E / -27.4674833; 153.0062778

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