XXXX

For other uses, see XXXX (disambiguation).

XXXX Brewery, Milton

XXXX (pronounced fourex) is a brand of Australian beer brewed in Milton, Brisbane by Queensland brewers, Castlemaine Perkins. It enjoys wide popularity in the state of Queensland, where it is commonly found on-tap in pubs and bars.

The XXXX brand was first introduced in 1924 and is a throwback to the long standing tradition of using Xs to indicate the strength of an ale. The brand name also built upon XXX Sparkling Ale introduced in 1878. The brand is used on the XXXX Bitter, XXXX Gold, XXXX Light Bitter (Lager), XXXX DL (Diet Lager) and Sovereign (Lager).

Previously sold beers, currently not available, include Thirsty Dog (Wheat Beer) XXXX Draught/Original Draught, and XXX Sparkling Ale which is only sold at the XXXX alehouse next to the brewery.

Other currently sold brands include:

• XXXX Bitter, a pale lager marketed under the brand XXXX. When ordering in Queensland, it is often referred to as XXXX Heavy.
• XXXX Gold, a mid strength lager - 3.5% ABV. XXXX Gold is also a lower carb beer. When ordering in Queensland, the beer is simply referred to as Gold.
• XXXX Summer Bright Lager, a full strength, low carb beer.

History

The XXXX brand was launched in 1924 by then Castlemaine Brewers, named after the town of Castlemaine, Victoria where the company was born in 1857. The yellow-and-red label still bears this town's name. XXXX has been brewed in the Castlemaine Perkins Milton Brewery since its introduction, and has featured an artist's sketch (later very stylised) of this brewery on the label of beer bottles and cans. In the 1950s the prominent 'XXXX' illuminated sign was erected on the brewery. "XXXX" itself refers to a traditional grading system for strong beer.

In 1992, Castlemaine Perkins was acquired by Australian beverage and food company Lion Nathan, who in turn were taken over by Japanese beverage conglomerate, Kirin, in 2009.

Distribution and brand loyalty

XXXX is the most widely available beer throughout most of Queensland, although many other beers, such as Victoria Bitter and Tooheys are popular. In North Queensland, XXXX Bitter, on tap, is becoming less common (2007).

The most widely known outside of Australia is XXXX Export Lager. It contains 4.8% alcohol by volume (ABV) which amounts to 1.4 standard drinks.

XXXX was brewed under licence in the UK by InBev Ltd until 2009. It was commonly available in cans in British off licences and sometimes on tap in British pubs, although it was much less widely available than Foster's (which is found in many UK pubs). At 3.7% alcohol, the British brewed XXXX was somewhat weaker than most of the Australian variants. Castlemaine XXXX was withdrawn from the UK at the end of June 2009 when InBev's licensing agreement expired.

Iconography, advertising and brand recognition

Tinned and bottled versions of XXXX's two most popular beers

XXXX's mascot is Mr Fourex - a jovial cartoon man in a suit with a boater hat, who features on the City side of the Fourex Brewery at Milton and is to be re-introduced into advertising in the near future for the first time since 1967. Mr Fourex is thought to be modelled after a gentleman by the name of Paddy Fitzgerald. However, Mr Fourex may have been around long before Paddy became a force at the brewery. A second theory is that the cartoon is modelled on a well-known dwarf who sold newspapers in the inner city suburb of Fortitude Valley in the late 1920s. The true identity for the inspiration behind the cartoon remains a mystery.

A common nickname used by the military (Australian, passed along to their Allied guests) was "Barbed Wire," as the XXXX has the appearance of the fence product used in the Outback. Predominant during the post-Vietnam era, it current use is unknown.

The second major campaign was launched in the early 1980s in the North Queensland area after the general manager of 'XXXX' Pat Holmboe at the time heard of the locally famous Clinton Howe, a council road worker, being able to consume a very high quantity of the beer in a short time (approx. 3L in 1 minute or 3/4 gal.). The company was forced to close the campaign within the first few day s of T.V. advertising following government pressure.

A popular advertisement campaign from the 1980s and 1990s featured the tagline "Australians wouldn't give a XXXX for anything else."

Most beers under the XXXX label are sold in Australia as 375 ml cans (tinnies), 375 ml bottles (stubbies) and 750 ml bottles (tallies or long necks), on tap (in most Queensland pubs but also to a lesser extent throughout the rest of Australia) and all bottles have twist top lids. Underneath the twist top lids there are trivia questions.

XXXX is unique amongst Australian beers in that it is still being served from wooden barrels at the Breakfast Creek Hotel in Newstead, Queensland. Whilst not cask-conditioned, as in the case of British real ale, the beer is nevertheless unpasteurised and delivered by gravity and is described as having a fresher and smoother taste than the regular 'keg' variety.

XXXX's labels generally feature a depiction of the Milton Brewery alongside the Ipswich railway line, presently with a Citytrain EMU in the foreground with the existing extensive railway fencing omitted. Prior labels had steam engines and diesels when those locomotives were more regularly seen in Brisbane.

Sports sponsorship

XXXX Angels at Eastern Creek Raceway, Sydney

XXXX is the major sponsor of many sporting events and clubs, including the Queensland Maroons in the State of Origin. XXXX Gold is also a sponsor of the QLD Bulls and the QLD, SA, ACT & NT Cricket Associations. XXXX Gold also sponsors the Australian V8 Supercars Championship Series.

On 16 July 2010, XXXX released a limited edition "XXXXX" can to celebrate Queensland's fifth consecutive series win.

On 27 September 2006, XXXX launched the sponsorship of the XXXX Gold Beach Cricket Tri-Nations 2007 series. The series ran from January - February 2007. The series involved cricketing legends from Australia such as Allan Border, England including Graham Gooch and West Indies including Courtney Walsh and Sir Viv Richards.

The latest campaign for XXXX Gold was launched on 29 October 2008. The XXXX GOLD Boat Building Project was rolled out in print, PR, TV advertising.

See also

• Beach Cricket Tri-Nations series
• List of breweries in Australia
• Victoria Bitter
• XXXX Summer Bright Lager

External links

• Official Website
• XXXX Gold Beach Cricket Official site
• History
• The Aussie Beer Baron
• Australian Beers Page