• Cascade Brewery’s head of manufacturing Brendan Flanagan with AFL legend Jack Riewoldt.
    Cascade Brewery’s head of manufacturing Brendan Flanagan with AFL legend Jack Riewoldt.
Close×

Australia's oldest brewery has launched its new mid-strength beer – the Cascade Draught 3.5%, which is a new version of one of Tasmania's most iconic drops.

At one standard drink per can, it’s brewed for beer lovers who want the classic Cascade Draught flavour but are looking to moderate their alcohol consumption. It is believed to be Cascade’s first ever mid-strength beer.

The launch of Cascade Draught 3.5% reflects the national culture shift to moderation.
The launch of Cascade Draught 3.5% reflects the national culture shift to moderation.

Proud Tasmanian and AFL legend, Jack Riewoldt, was among the first to try the new beer and gave it the ‘Tassie tick of approval’.

“It’s perfect for a catch-up with mates camping in the wilderness or watching footy at North Hobart Oval,” he said.

“I love a Cascade but sometimes don’t want a full-strength. Cascade Draught 3.5% will be perfect for when I want to consume a little less alcohol because it retains the crispness and taste of the original.”

The launch of Draught 3.5% reflects the national culture shift to moderation, with more than 30 per cent of Australian beer sales now no, low or mid-strength.

Available exclusively in Tasmania, Cascade’s new mid-strength beer continues the brewery’s long-standing commitment to Tassie.

The launch follows Cascade’s 200th anniversary celebrations in 2024 and the completion of a major restoration of the iconic brewery facade.

Brendan Flanagan, head of manufacturing at Cascade Brewery, said Cascade Draught 3.5% was created to give Tasmanians a mid-strength option that delivers the flavour and character people expect from the much-loved beer.

“Cascade Draught has been part of Tasmania for more than six decades, so when we created a mid-strength version, we knew we had to get it right,” he said.

“This is a good example of how we’re investing to ensure Cascade continues to brew beer in Tasmania for Tasmanians for years to come.”

Cascade Draught 3.5% is a classic Australian lager with a hop aroma, balanced malt character, crisp finish and retains a familiar hint of bitterness.

It is now available in 30 packs of 375 ml cans from Tasmanian Independent bottleshops, select pubs, and at Hobart’s Cascade Brewery Bar. 

Packaging News

In an initiative led by Viva Energy in partnership with Nestlé, a limited run of KitKat chocolate bars wrapped in locally manufactured recycled PP is rolling out to stores nationwide, demonstrating the potential for locally collected soft plastics to be returned to food-grade packaging in Australia.

Three Gold awards and a Silver saw RePlay top the medal tally in this year's PIDA awards. But behind the accolades lies an equally important story: the practical challenges of making reusable packaging systems commercially viable.

Australia's peak paper industry association has rebranded as the APPIA, reflecting what it says is the growing importance of fibre-based packaging across Australia and New Zealand.