Australia’s oldest continuously brewed beer, Cascade Pale Ale, celebrates 190 years of production by lighting up the brewery in Cascade green this week.
The brewery is also celebrating by marking its bottles with commemorative labels on its Pale Ale bottles and special slab design with a photo of the brewery from the 1800s on just 6000 limited-edition slabs.
The Cascade story began in 1824 when pioneering industrialist Peter Degraves used a 2000-acre grant to establish a sawmill on the lower slopes of Kunanyi/Mount Wellington in South Hobart. But, eight years and a short stint in gaol later, Degraves turned the site into a brewery.
The location, at the junction of the Hobart and Guy Fawkes Rivulets, is known for its supply of fresh, clear mountain water – one of Cascade’s key ingredients and long- touted as a reason for its superior quality.
Brewery Manager Jesse Cartwright said the local love that generations of Tasmanians have for Cascade and its Pale Ale is unparalleled.
“Affectionately known simply as ‘Green’, ‘Pale’ or ‘Degraves Ale’ after its founder, Cascade Pale Ale has cemented itself into the history books as a Tasmanian icon,” he said. “It was the first beer brewed at the site in 1832 and has been brewed on-site ever since – except for a three-month stretch in 1967 when production moved to Melbourne after the devastating Black Tuesday fires nearly destroyed the brewery.”
While the style of the beer has changed with the times, it has always been brewed with the finest ingredients and is still brewed at full strength 5 per cent ABV.
Cascade Brewery is Australia’s oldest. The brewery and bar employ more than 80 people and help support hundreds of local businesses.
The iconic brewery will be lit up in its signature green at night for the next week, giving visitors a different perspective on the historic building. Cascade Brewery is a proud part of Asahi Beverages.
