 | XXXX: Encyclopedia - XXXX
XXXX
XXXX (pronounced four-ex) is a brand of beers brewed in Milton, Brisbane by Queensland brewers, Castlemaine Perkins, a brewery originally located in Castlemaine Victoria, Australia. Its name, first introduced in 1924, is a throwback to the long standing tradition of using X's to indicate the strength of an ale.
XXXX is the most widely available beer throughout most of Queensland, although many other beers, such as Victoria Bitter and Tooheys are popular. XXXX is substantially less popular in Australia outside of Queensland. In other parts of the world, such as the UK, it competes with Fosters.
A derogatory explanation for the name is that Australians or Queenslanders cannot spell "beer". This is often used by beer drinkers from southern Australian states, where the brand is not as popular.
Within Australia, the two main varieties are XXXX Bitter (Lager) and XXXX Gold (Lager). Also available are XXXX Draught/Original Draught, XXXX Light Bitter (Lager), XXXX DL (Diet Lager) and Sovereign (Lager).
Previously sold beers, currently not available, include Thirsty Dog (Wheat Beer) and XXX Sparkling Ale.
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. It is described as bland but palatable (with a distinct bitter aftertaste).
XXXX Gold was first sold in 1991 and is now the third most popular beer in Australia.
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. His origins are the subject of some confusion. A popular advertisement campaign from the early 1990s featured the tagline "Australians wouldn't give a XXXX for anything else."
XXXX's labels generally feature a depiction of the Milton Brewery alongside the Ipswich railway line, presently with a CityTrain EMU in the foreground. Prior labels had steam engines and diesels when those locomotives were more regularly seen in Brisbane.
See also
Other related archives1924, Australia, Australians, Brisbane, Castlemaine, Castlemaine Perkins, CityTrain, EMU, Fosters, Ipswich railway line, Milton, Queensland, Queenslanders, Tooheys, UK, Victoria, Victoria Bitter, X, XX, XXX, alcohol, boater, mascot
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "XXXX", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
