With Tasmania's renowned reputation for pristine natural surrounds, the amber ale from Australia's 'Apple Isle' is naturally considered to be one of the best brews in the country. Established in 1832, Cascade Brewery is Australia's oldest continually operating brewery, which still handcrafts a variety of fine beers, cordials and soft drinks to this day.
From unlikely beginnings in the Old Hobart Gaol, founder Peter Degraves designed his idea for the Cascade Brewery. The result is the picturesque Gothic site nestled among hop vines and apple trees near Mount Wellington and the Hobart Rivulet, which is a popular Hobart destination for visitors. The iconic thylacine or Tasmanian tiger label, which appears on the Cascade Premium and Premium Light bottles, was sketched by draughtsman and painter William Piguenit who designed ads for the company.
The brewery offers two tours: the over-18s Brewery Tour and the family-friendly Heritage Tour at 11am and 12.30pm daily. The two-hour Brewery Tour is AU$25 per person and includes lots of walking and stairs to take visitors behind the scenes to learn about the brewery, brewing process, different beers and for a wander around the secluded and serene Woodstock gardens. The reward for all that walking is beers fresh from the tap. Be aware that, as this is an operational brewery, you'll need to adhere to their heath and safety regulations for entry, which means wearing enclosed flat shoes, trousers and removing all jewellery prior to the tour. The one-hour Heritage Tour is AU$15 for adults and AU$12 for children under 18 years, and includes a wander around the brewery including the 1.2-hectare heritage Woodstock gardens and Cascade museum for an insight into the history of the company and brewing and includes tastings.
If you're visiting the brewery, there's a 12.75km walking track linking the Hobart waterfront to Wellington Mountain through the Cascade Brewery, which takes about 30 minutes. To visit Cascade Brewery by public transport, take buses 43, 44, 46 or 49 from Franklin Square in Hobart's CBD and alight at stop 18.
