Old coldies, gone but not forgotten: Queensland’s discontinued beers
Everyone’s got a favourite frothie, whether it’s a niche craft brew or an unbeatable classic like Tooheys – but what happened to all of Qld’s well-loved beer brands? Explore the history of discontinued beers, past and present.
Lifestyle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Queensland is no stranger to its successes in the beer industry, with Yatala’s own Great Northern named the highest-selling beer for both 2022 and 2021.
Victorian brand Carlton Dry came in second, but the reign wasn’t over for Queensland, with Milton’s XXXX Gold taking out third spot in 2022.
But while Queensland brands continue to dominate the industry today, there have been some excellent lagers, pale ales and bitters that we’ve lost along the way.
The Sunshine State has a long and fascinating history in beer brewing, dating back to the 19th century with a big influence by Victorian-founded company Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) who slowly dominated the Queensland beer market throughout the 20th century.
A spokesman from CUB said that while Queenslanders have enjoyed CUB beers such as Carlton and Foster’s since the early 1900s, it was the 1931 purchase of Northern Australian Breweries, brewers of Cairns Draught, that really helped establish its presence in the Sunshine State.
“Expansion in Queensland continued in 1961, with the purchase of Rockhampton’s Thos McLaughlin & Co brewers and hotels, and Brisbane’s Queensland Brewery,” the spokesman said.
“This made CUB the proud custodians of the famous Bulimba Gold Top, among other drops.”
“But perhaps CUB’s most significant move in Queensland came with the purchase of Power’s in the early 1990s. It subsequently moved its Queensland brewing operations to Bernie Power’s Yatala Brewery in 1993.
“It is now the biggest brewery in Australia, employing over 300 people and brewing more than 400 million litres a year.”
Acquiring a number of well-renowned Queensland brands including Bulimba Gold Top, Cairns Draught and Power’s, CUB continues to lead the market today with its extensive profile of Aussie beer brands.
Continuing to contribute to the Queensland economy and beer market, the CUB spokesman said the company is incredibly proud of its Queensland heritage and continues to invest into Queensland jobs and beer.
“Key to CUB’s recent growth in Queensland has been investment and innovation, which is incredibly well supported by our parent company, Asahi Beverages,” the spokesman said.
“At Yatala Brewery, we have expanded capacity, created jobs, and made it more sustainable – including brewing beer with the Queensland sun via 7000 on-site solar panels installed in 2021.
“We have continued to invest in and innovate with our craft partners Balter and Green Beacon, and can’t wait to see what the future holds for these beers.
“CUB has helped shape Queensland’s brewing industry and brewed some of its most beloved beers for nearly a century. We plan to continue innovating, investing, creating local jobs, and brewing some of Queensland’s favourite beers for another 100 years and beyond.”
With such a rich history in Australia’s beer history, take a trip down memory lane and explore Queensland’s forgotten frothies and beers of yesteryear, from cult classic to more recent drops we’ve said goodbye to in the past decade.
Brisbane Bitter
Introduced by Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) in the 1970s, Brisbane Beer was a full-strength lager with “a taste you can stay with”.
As well as having a jingle that stays in your head for days, Brisbane Bitter was designed to have red and yellow branding “representing the idyllic Queensland lifestyle”, featuring an image of the Story Bridge in Brisbane’s New Farm.
A range of special cans of the heavy beer were released in 1982 in commemoration of the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games, with cans showcasing a range of sports, including swimming, archery, table tennis and more.
Phased out in the 1980s, Brisbane Bitter was re-released in 2011 alongside Bulimba Gold Top Lager and is still available in select bottle shops around the nation.
Bulimba Gold Top
A beer “specifically suitable for tropical climates”, Bulimba Gold Top was the first bitter beer made by Queensland Brewery Company back in 1899, brewed at the former Bulimba Brewery on the east bank of the Brisbane River.
Under the watchful eye of brewer Henry Bolton, the bitter beer began brewing less than 20 years after the brewery was built in 1882 by Robert Tooth, using all three floors constructed of wood and galvanised iron to brew the blue and gold branded beverages.
Eventually moving their brewery to Brunswick St in Fortitude Valley and later to the nearby Ann St, the brewery was later acquired by Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) in 1961.
Throughout the 1960s, Gold Top was known for its famous TV commercials featuring the slogan “a big, big thirst needs a big, big beer” which was later a phrase used to advertise VB.
Bulimba Gold Top was eventually phased out in the 1980s and was briefly reintroduced to the market in 2011.
As well as their iconic Gold Top brand, Queensland Brewery Co was also behind various lost but not forgotten brands such as Bulimba Pilsner, Bright Star Ale and Red Top Stout.
Bulimba Gold Top is also rumoured to have introduced the concept of a ‘six-pack’ to the Australian beer scene, marketing the innovative carry device at “no extra cost”.
Power’s
The original Brisbane Broncos major sponsor, Power’s Beer is a classic Queensland brand that first entered the market in the 80s by former beer baron and Brisbane publican, Bernard ‘Bernie’ Power.
Power’s Bitter was released to the market in 1988 and brewed in a 30-hectare complex in Yatala operated by Mr Power who owned several hotels in Queensland and was previously admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court in 1967.
The maroon-branded beer, which was advertised in commercials featuring NRL legend Wally Lewis, was created to be in direct competition with the XXXX brand, eventually capturing around 20 per cent of the Queensland beer market.
Selling the Yatala brewery to Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) in 1993, which is now owned by Asahi, Mr Power’s namesake beer stopped pouring in 2000, but was relaunched to the Queensland market in February, 2023.
Power’s Ultra Smooth Lager was launched earlier this year by CUB, who also owns Great Northern Brewing Co, Carlton Draught, VB and other popular beer brands.
A CUB spokesman said that Power’s is a great Queensland story with a strong history and heritage that has been exceptionally well received.
“Queenslanders speak reverently of the era when Bernie Power and his team launched a beer by joining forces with the newly formed Brisbane Broncos,” the spokesman said.
“It’s a story that locals hold dear - a group of gutsy, gritty Queenslanders with a whole lot of front and can-do attitude that changed their respective industries forever.
“People are yearning for simpler times. With the pandemic ending and Queensland well and truly open for business, it was the right time to relaunch the Power’s brand so that a new generation of beer lovers could enjoy this uniquely Queensland beer.”
The relaunch of Power’s exceeded the company’s expectations, doubling its sales forecast in retail stores in its first 10 weeks of being released.
Specifically brewed for warmer weather, the new Ultra Smooth Lager contains both a slight bitterness and slight malt sweetness with an ABV of four per cent.
Cairns Draught
While Great Northern is leading the market in northern Queensland-born beers, the best-selling beer of 2022 was preceded by a popular draught from which its namesake is derived.
Known as “the north’s own beer”, Cairns Draught was the area’s first locally made draught beer, launched in July 1925 after Sir Reginald Fogarty established Cairns Brewing Company in 1924.
Formerly named Cairns Bitter Ale, the beer was acquired by North Australian Breweries in 1927 before being bought by Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) in 1931, with Mr Fogarty staying on as the brewery manager.
Following CUB’s acquisition of the iconic Cairns beer brand, the brewery at Portsmith was renamed ‘Great Northern Brewery’.
The brewery officially closed in 1992, and in 2010, CUB launched their new lager Great Northern, as a nod to their Cairns history.
Today, the Great Northern label pays tribute to the original Cairns beer brand by featuring its original maroon colours and marlin logo.
A CUB spokesman said that Great Northern was launched on a hunch that there was a market for a crisp and refreshing beer that was perfect to drink on a hot Queensland day.
“With a name inspired by Northern Australian Breweries and an initial target to sell 20,000 cartons, the beer [Great Northern] grew slowly in popularity across Queensland before launching nationally in the mid-2010s,” the spokesman said.
“From these humble beginnings, Great Northern has become not only Queensland’s but also Australia’s most popular beer, as its low bitterness and flavour and association with the great outdoors have resonated nationwide.”
Great Northern’s namesake, Cairns Draught, had a limited re-release in 2022, with a taste said to be similar to a Carlton Draught.
NQ Lager
A product of Carlton & United Breweries’ (CUB) first brewery in Queensland, NQ Lager is a beer that was made at the historic Portsmith brewery on the corner of Draper St and Spence St.
First brewed by The Cairns Brewery, which was later acquired by CUB, NQ Lager was placed on the market in 1930 as a “100 per cent pure” lager that was locally produced and bottled in Cairns and made from the highest grade materials.
In 1981, as part of CUB’s 50th anniversary with The Cairns Brewery, a special Thursday Island label was released on their NQ Lager bottles in recognition of the beer label’s “longstanding association” with Thursday Island in the Torres Strait.
NQ Lager was described as a premium lager with a “pleasant balance of bitterness and drinkability”.
Locals will remember the Queensland-made beer’s popular TV jingle: “We’ve got sugar cane, a mountain train, the summer breeze in the coconut trees. We’ve got sunny skies, blue and clear, and guess what? We’ve got our own beer”.
Mac’s Draught Beer
Formerly Central Queensland’s best-selling beer, Mac’s Beer was a Rockhampton-born product which a rich history dating all the way back to the late 19th century.
Established by Thomas McLaughlin in 1877, Fitzroy Brewery was the first brewery in Northern Brisbane, officially beginning operations in 1880 and remaining open for 96 years.
In 1889, The Queenslander, an earlier subsidiary of The Courier Mail, reported that of the 619,761 gallons of beer brewed in Central Queensland, 50 per cent was manufactured from the Fitzroy Brewery.
The longstanding brewery was reported to have an output of more than 300,000 gallons of beer annually in 1899, with one ‘hogshead’ or cask of beer costing 3 pounds, 12 shillings and 9 pence.
Primarily focused on producing draught, bottled ale and stout, the Rockhampton-born product became to be known as ‘Mac’s Beer’, potentially in reference to the namesake of proprietor Thomas McLaughlin who passed away in 1932.
Described as a “light drink … with none of the hardness of other colonial beers on the market”, Mac’s Beer was advertised as “the favourite ale and stout of Central Queensland’ throughout the 20th century.
In the 1960s, Fitzroy Brewery was purchased by Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) who built a new brewery on Richardson Rd, North Rockhampton and donated the Fitzroy Brewery building to Rockhampton City Council.
Mac’s Beer reportedly ceased production in the 1970s.
NEWER DISCONTINUED BEERS
While there’s many beer brands that have had a historic impact on Queensland’s beer industry as a whole, there are some smaller, more local beer brands and breweries that have been discontinued in the last decade.
Take a look at some of the more recent Queensland-based beer brands and breweries that closed their doors in recent years.
Tiny Mountain Brewery, Townsville
Townsville locals and craft beer enthusiasts were devastated when a popular microbrewery announced its closure in March 2023.
Tiny Mountain Brewery opened its doors at its Palmer St venue in Castle Hill in 2019 as a family-friendly local brand using local ingredients.
But after the brewery’s operator, Kirin-owned company Lion, announced a lack of sales at the South Townsville microbrewery, the well-loved venue had its last day of trade April 2, 2023 and ceased production of its beers.
Offering a range of different beers and ciders, the microbrewery’s line-up included a Cowboys Castle Kolsch as a nod to the area’s NRL team, a Rattlesnake Red IPA and a Mango Passionfruit Quencher for those wanting something different from beer.
The venue was also home to a food truck that served gourmet toasties and tasty nibbles to soak up a lager.
‘Barely Legal’ Beer, Blackflag
A Sunshine Coast brewery had one of their beer products pulled from a festival line-up in May 2023 after gaining criticism for a “sexist” and “offensive” name with imagery referencing a porn website.
Set to be released at the Great Australasian Beer Spectacular (GABS) festival, Blackflag announced their new beer ‘Barely Legal’ on their social media, an IPA with an alcohol content of 18.1 per cent, described as a “big, bold and barely legal” beer and “something to tell your friends about”.
The label of the IPA contained font, colours and imagery similar to that of the logo for adult content site ‘PornHub’.
Drinks Agents for Change, a community group aiming to target sexism in the Australian beer industry, called the name and label of the beer “insensitive and offensive” in an Instagram story post.
“It creates a culture where sexism and sexualising minors is not only accepted, but celebrated,” the post said.
“This ultimately impacts on the safety of minorities, in this case women and minors”.
After discussions between GABS, Blackflag and Beer Agents for Change, the beer branding and name were officially withdrawn, with Blackflag releasing a statement stating they “deeply regret any offence or distress caused” by their marketing campaign.
“We acknowledge that a single marketing theme, which was intended to be lighthearted and engaging, unfortunately missed the mark and inadvertently conveyed unintended implications that were offensive.” Blackflag Brewing said.
“We understand the importance of promoting diversity, equality, and sensitivity in all aspects of our business.
“We recognise that our recent marketing campaign fell short of these principles, and we sincerely apologise for any harm caused.”
Blackflag noted that immediate action had been taken by their team to rectify the situation and a comprehensive diversity and inclusion training program would be implemented for all employees.
Founded in 2019, Blackflag Brewing is self-described as a “collective of misfits who strongly believe in bringing good beer to the masses and having a damn good time doing it”.
The company continues to run two breweries in Coolum and Mooloolaba.
Beard and Brau Farmhouse Brewery, Beenleigh
Described on TripAdvisor as “simply lovely”, Malty Grain and Beard and Brau Farmhouse Brewery was formerly a tapas restaurant and cellar door in Windaroo that closed its doors in August, 2019.
The popular farmhouse-style brewery near Mt Tamborine was opened in 2012 after the Beard and Brau brand was created in 2007 in South Australia, by husband and wife duo Chris Herring and Tanya Harlow as one of the only farmhouse-operated breweries on a rural farm setting in Australia.
Located on 180 Beaudesert Beenleigh Rd, Beenleigh, the craft brewery and restaurant used eco-conscious and traditional brewing methods originating from France and Belgium, capturing their own water and using locally grown malts to produce their beer.
With a range of products including stouts, red ales, porters, ciders and more, the pair decided to close down Beard and Brau in 2019 after more than a decade of brewing craft beers.
Today, the Beenleigh Rd site is being used as a church, cafe and wedding venue.
Stalwart Alehouse & Brewery, Nambour
A victim of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, Stalwart Alehouse & Brewery was once a thriving craft brewery in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast, with quality pale ales, live music and classic pub food.
Brewer Adam Tomlinson founded Stalwart Brewing Company in 2015 after gypsy brewing at The Bearded Brau Brewery, The Sunshine Coast Brewery and the Glasshouse Brewery.
He released his first commercial beer in 2017 and opened the Nambour Alehouse in July 2020.
Located at the former Club Hotel at 78-84 Currie St, the Stalwart Alehouse & Brewery offered customers a range of beers including tropical ales, golden ales and chocolate stouts, as well as a food menu of pub classics including burgers, parmis and chicken wings.
However, restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the later Omicron outbreak saw a drop in customers, staffing issues and unexpected closures, with the biggest hit coming after the vaccination mandate during the Christmas and New Years period in 2021.
The Alehouse & Brewery officially closed its doors on February 7, 2022, with liquidators later appointed to Stalwart Brewing Company in July 2022 with a reported $180,000 owed to creditors.
Blue Sky Brewery
Run by brothers and brewery directors Anthony and Benjamin Newman, Blue Sky Brewery in Cairns was home to some of Far North Queensland’s most notable beers in recent years, including FNQ Lager, Blue Sky Pilsner, Reef Blonde and Cairns Gold.
Located inside Palm Court Shopping Centre at 34-42 Lake St in the Cairns CBD, Blue Sky Brewery was once a thriving microbrewery, serving a range of beers made specifically for Far North Queensland’s warmer climates.
The popular brewery also had a secondary location in Cairns Airport – a 400-seat bar and beer garden serving international flyers.
After struggling with funding losses in the competitive Queensland beer market, Blue Sky Brewery stopped pouring in July 2014.
The Lake St site was later taken over by Sydney-based Sauce Brewing Company in 2020, which also later closed down in June 2023.
‘Hundreds of messages’: Bride’s dress swap that had guests talking
Bride Amira tried 50 wedding dresses before she found the perfect gown for her big day. But it’s what she wore at the reception that really caused a stir.
‘I don’t think I’ve mentally or socially recovered’: Mel Buttle’s disastrous first birthday for son
It was at that point I decided that being a domestic goddess isn’t for me, I cracked a beer and mentally checked out of being a dutiful host.