Carlton Brewery Tour and Tasting: Behind the Scenes of an Aussie Icon
Beer lovers, history buffs, and anyone curious about how Australia’s favourite brews come to life will find plenty to enjoy on the Carlton Brewery Tour and Tasting in Abbotsford. Home to Carlton Draught, Victoria Bitter, and Great Northern, this is no ordinary brewery visit—it’s a deep dive into over 150 years of brewing tradition.
What to Expect on a Carlton Brewery Tour
The experience kicks off with a guided walk through the historic Carlton & United Brewery site, where fun and knowledgeable guides share stories from its long history. This isn’t just a showcase—it’s a working brewery, so depending on when you visit, you might catch the brewing process in full swing, or watch the fascinating bottling and packaging lines in action.
As Australia’s largest brewery, Carlton produces more than 2 million litres of beer every day. On weekdays (especially Wednesdays and Thursdays), visitors can even watch the bottling line run at full tilt—more than 100 stubbies every minute!
The hour-long tour wraps up in the welcoming Carlton Brewhouse, where you’ll enjoy a tasting paddle featuring a selection of the brewery’s most iconic beers.
Food, Atmosphere and Extras
If you’d like to make a day of it, the Brewhouse kitchen is open midday Wednesday to Sunday and in the evenings from Thursday to Saturday. It’s the perfect spot for a hearty pub meal to go with your freshly poured beer.
For those wanting more, you can book the Ultimate Carlton Draft Experience, which includes a pub meal and two hours of free-flowing drinks after your tour.
Do note: enclosed shoes are a must, and because this is a working brewery, production lines don’t always operate—especially on weekends.
Accessibility: The tour requires walking and climbing stairs, and unfortunately is not wheelchair accessible.
A Visitor’s Perspective
Joanne, who recently joined the tour, had nothing but praise:
Joanne’s review
Great tour would recommend!! Friendly, funny & informative tour guide made it a great experience. Even though factory wasn’t at full production the day we visited, we still got a chance to see where & how the beer is made.
Then to finish it off with the tasting paddle, delicious. We also stayed for a pub platter, good size meals, good prices.
Lovely atmosphere. Thank you—will recommend his tour to anyone visiting Melbourne.
Essential Info
Tickets: from $35 pp, book online here.
Location: The Carlton Brewhouse, 24 Thompson St, Abbotsford VIC 3067
Tour Length: Approx. 1 hour walking tour + beer tasting
Availability: Wednesday to Sunday (not available Mondays, Tuesdays, public holidays, or Father’s Day)
Age: 18+ only
What to Bring: Closed-toe shoes are required
Why You Should Go
The Carlton Brewery Tour offers the rare chance to go behind the scenes of Australia’s oldest and largest brewery, learn about its history, and enjoy a well-earned tasting paddle at the end. Whether you’re a local looking for a fun outing or a visitor keen to taste a slice of Melbourne’s heritage, it’s a tour worth raising a glass to.
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