{"id":26496,"date":"2013-08-16T09:19:51","date_gmt":"2013-08-15T23:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=26496"},"modified":"2015-03-12T11:20:54","modified_gmt":"2015-03-12T01:20:54","slug":"xxxx-brewery-tour-fathers-day-gift-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.co.nz\/vc\/blog\/xxxx-brewery-tour-fathers-day-gift-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"Did someone say beer? XXXX Brewery Tour review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When it comes to curing a slightly sore head from a few too many the night before, there are two options:<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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\n1:<\/strong> Stay in bed in the foetal position and hide from any ray of sunlight, or2:<\/strong> Get outdoors and embrace the day with a hair-of-the-dog and good company to wash away the hangover.<\/p>\n

And who better to share this experience with other than the beer-lovin\u2019 king himself \u2013 my Dad.<\/p>\n

Now don\u2019t get me wrong, I\u2019m far from pro-alcoholism, but when a twenty-something YOLO-enthusiast has an opportunity to back up for a fun-filled day of sipping down a coldie with the oldie (with the added bonus of a little history) you can count me in.<\/p>\n\"<\/a>\n

The XXXX Brewery in Brisbane\u2019s inner west suburb of Milton has become a landmark to tourists and locals alike over the years. Those big flashing four X\u2019s and the dancing Mr Fourex make for a familiar site for any Brisbanite. Though what lies beyond the smell of brewing hops and flashing lights is where the true beauty can be found.<\/p>\n

XXXX Brewery Tour & BBQ lunch<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arriving at the XXXX Brewery at the reasonable hour of 11:45am, Dad and I are ready to learn more about this iconic landmark (and its famous products) with a XXXX Brewery Tour & BBQ lunch<\/a>. Things kick off in the XXXX Ale House Visitor Centre I can see Dad\u2019s eyes wide open with all the XXXX paraphernalia in the room. I have to distract him from this bad boy before he adds it to the Father\u2019s Day wish list.<\/p>\n

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The ultimate XXXX fridge? I think so!<\/p><\/div>\n\"<\/a>\n

We start off the tour with a few ground rules around safety before making our way through to the cinema room\u2026 yes, the cinema room. I always pictured brewery tours to be similar to winery tours, so I\u2019m pretty excited by this unique twist and mini-film on the history of XXXX.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot to know about that refreshing cold beer hundreds of thousands of people sip on daily. Without giving away too much, here are some pretty interesting facts about XXXX:<\/p>\n

\u2022 The XXXX brand started in 1924 by the Castlemaine Brewers who came up to sunny QLD from VIC and the company (XXXX) was born in 1857.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Beer was originally labelled by X\u2019s. The more X\u2019s the better (ie, stronger) the beer. XXX was the standard ale going around, until they perfected the recipe and developed the delicious XXXX we know and love.<\/p>\n

\u2022 There are many theories behind who the XXXX mascot (Mr Fourex \u2013 pictured below) actually is. Some say he\u2019s the companies former direct, Paddy Fitzgerald, others say he\u2019s the company’s former director, Paddy Fitzgerald, others say he’s modelled from a paper boy who worked in Fortitude Valley during the ’20s. The true identity remains a mystery!<\/p>\n\"<\/a>\n

Following the short film, our tour guide takes us through the brewing site and teaches us about the different ingredients, brewing methods and history of XXXX beers. It\u2019s pretty amazing to learn just how many beers are produced in a day at this place. To help put it in perspective, 450,000 beers are bottled an hour here! That\u2019s sure to leave even the keenest beer drinker under the table.<\/p>\n

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Hot tip: <\/strong><\/em>If you\u2019re considering a tour and are flexible with dates \u2013 I highly recommend visiting mid-week so you can catch the bottling of beers in action.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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It\u2019s amazing to see just how well preserved they\u2019ve been able to keep some of the old XXXX products \u2013 from kegs and original brewing tools, to bottled beers and carton cases. They\u2019ve kept the XXXX history alive (and in-tact) and just as well they did.<\/p>\n

There are two types of tours available to book at the XXXX Brewery \u2013 both include four pints of beer at the end. The first tour is the Brewery tour (for $27), the second option (which we did) includes a delicious BBQ lunch afterwards (at only $40 per person). When considering which tour to go on, the BBQ lunch option wins me over. $13 more for a BBQ lunch included \u2013 yes please!<\/p>\n

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Like father like daughter<\/p><\/div>\n

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Finally \u2013 lunchtime!<\/p><\/div>\n

For those looking for something a little different to do in Brissy, add the XXXX Brewery to your bucket list \u2013 you won\u2019t be disappointed. And with Father\u2019s Day just around the corner, why not grab a coldie with your oldie and gift him something that you\u2019ll both enjoy (with the added bonus of family bonding time). It\u2019s a win-win!
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