HISTORY

Foster’s Lager was first brewed by William and Ralph Foster who arrived in Melbourne from New York in 1886. They set up their brewery with an American refrigeration engineer and a German brewmaster in late 1888. Situated on a site in Rokeby Street, Collingwood, they delivered their first shipment to Hotels in Melbourne in February 1889.

At this time Aussie’s were used to drinking a British style Ale. This was a heavy and complex taste not particularly good for a hot climate. When Foster’s hit the market it was pounced on because it was cold lager and therefore lighter, smoother, higher in Carbon Dioxide and ultimately more refreshing.

The icing on the cake was delivering the product packed in ice during the hottest month of the year, meaning the owners of the Hotels could serve the beer exactly how it was crafted to be drunk – ice cold. It was instantly more refreshing than anything seen at this scale before in Australia and in 1889 it won “Highest award against the world” in the Melbourne Centennial exhibition.