What People Drink in Brisbane: Traditions in Rum, Beer, and Beyond

Brisbane’s subtropical heat and long summers shape what locals pour: crisp lagers, rum highballs over ice, and chilled wines from nearby highlands. The city sits between sugarcane country to the north and cool, granitic vineyards to the southwest, giving drinkers an unusually broad palette within a few hours’ drive.

Pub culture remains strong—think counter lunches, footy nights, and riverside beer gardens—yet weekend trips to distilleries and cellar doors are now a ritual. The result is a drinking landscape where easy-drinking staples coexist with regional specialties, each tied to Queensland’s climate, agriculture, and history.

Few flavors say Brisbane like a cold XXXX. Brewed at the heritage Castlemaine Perkins brewery in Milton, XXXX Bitter (around 4.4% ABV) and mid-strength XXXX Gold (3.5% ABV) are pale lagers made from Australian malt, water, yeast, and locally grown hops. Fermented cool and lagered clean, both beers emphasize balance and refreshment: a light biscuit malt backbone, gentle hop bitterness, and brisk carbonation tailored to Queensland’s heat. Pride of place in stadiums and suburban pubs cements their role in everyday life, where drink-driving enforcement and long outdoor sessions make mid-strength beer a practical choice. Historically, XXXX grew with Brisbane’s postwar expansion and footy culture, becoming the default “tinnie” for barbecues and river fishing days. You’ll find them on tap across the city, in ice-chilled “stubbies” at bottle shops, and during State of Origin matches when Brisbane’s beer gardens fill early. Pair with crumbed barramundi, steak sandwiches, or salty chips; the clean profile cuts through fat and complements simple pub fare without overwhelming it.

Founded in 1884 at Eagleby between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Beenleigh is widely recognized as Australia’s oldest registered distillery. It distills molasses from Queensland sugarcane in copper pot stills, then ages the spirit in American oak—often ex-bourbon—under warm, humid conditions that accelerate maturation. Core bottlings sit around 37.5–40% ABV, with special releases higher. Expect aromas of vanilla custard, ripe banana, and treacle, with flavors of caramelized sugar, baking spice, and toasted oak on a supple, medium body. Historically tied to the region’s cane economy and river transport, Beenleigh’s rums were the backbone of local bars long before modern cocktail culture. Today in Brisbane you’ll encounter them neat, over ice, or lengthened with ginger beer and a squeeze of lime—a highball built for summer verandahs and backyard gatherings. Many venues also showcase Beenleigh in tiki-influenced mixes and Old Fashioned riffs, where the distillery’s molasses richness anchors citrus and bitters. Visit the distillery for tours, then see how city bartenders reinterpret the same spirit at night.

About 360 km north of Brisbane, Bundaberg Rum has distilled Queensland molasses since 1888, its polar-bear label now an Australian icon. The distillery employs pot and column distillation, followed by aging in American oak vats and ex-bourbon barrels that lend vanilla and coconut highlights to the deep molasses core. Standard expressions include an “Underproof” around 37% ABV and a robust Overproof near 57.7% ABV; special cask editions rise further. Expect aromas of burnt sugar, banana esters, and spice, with a palate that swings from toffee and caramel to clove and oak tannin. Bundy’s cultural history is inseparable from sugarcane—harvests, mill towns, and the rum’s role in pubs from the coast to the capital. In Brisbane, you’ll see it everywhere: mixed with cola in ready-to-drink cans at barbecues, poured long with ginger beer and lime in beer gardens, or sipped in more contemplative cocktails where bartenders tame the spirit’s muscular sweetness. It thrives in hot weather, where ice and bubbles lift the weight while preserving that unmistakable Queensland character.

The Granite Belt, centered on Stanthorpe 2.5 to 3 hours southwest of Brisbane, sits 800–1,000 meters above sea level. Granite soils, cool nights, and a long growing season yield crisp whites and medium-bodied reds well-suited to Brisbane’s warm climate eating. Producers champion alternative varieties via the region’s “StrangeBird” trail: Vermentino and Fiano with saline citrus and green-apple snap; Viognier offering apricot and jasmine; Tempranillo with red cherry and savory spice; and Saperavi, a Georgian grape, bringing inky color with plum, graphite, and firm tannins. Most whites land at 12–13% ABV, while reds run 13–14.5%. Stainless-steel fermentation preserves freshness in whites; reds often see partial or full oak maturation for texture and spice. In Brisbane, these wines pour in laneway wine bars and smart-casual restaurants, typically served cool alongside prawns, bug tails, and Thai-influenced salads that favor acidity and aromatic lift. Weekenders frequently drive up for cellar-door tastings, then carry bottles back to the city—proof that Brisbane’s “local” wine comes from the mountains, not the riverbanks.

Ginger beer has deep roots in Australia, where colonial-era households brewed it from grated ginger, sugar, lemon, and yeast. Today’s alcoholic versions—typically 4–5% ABV—retain that tradition with modern consistency. Producers macerate fresh or dried ginger, ferment the wort with ale or wine yeast, and often back-sweeten to balance the bite; some batches are naturally cloudy with real juice. The result is a zesty aroma of ginger and citrus oils, a prickle of heat on the tongue, and a semi-sweet finish that begs for ice and a lime wedge. In Brisbane, you’ll find alcoholic ginger beer on tap in beer gardens, in stubbies at bottle shops, and in highballs where it meets local rum for an effortless refresher. The drink suits the city’s humidity: bold enough to stand up to chili, salty enough for fish and chips, yet low in bitterness for broad appeal. Summer festivals and riverside markets are prime settings, where a cold, spicy glass turns the subtropical sun from challenge into invitation.

Native to Queensland, macadamia nuts find a spirited afterlife in liqueurs produced on Tamborine Mountain, an hour south of Brisbane. Distillers roast the nuts to release buttery oils, macerate them in neutral cane or grape spirit, and sweeten to a velvety 20–30% ABV (often around 25%). Expect aromas of roasted macadamia and vanilla fudge, a palate of praline, honey, and gentle cocoa, and a rounded, dessert-friendly finish. This is not a sipper for the hottest afternoon; instead it shines as a post-dinner cordial, in affogato-style desserts, or folded into an espresso martini for a distinctly Queensland accent. The liqueur reflects local agriculture and the region’s craft-distilling renaissance, with tasting rooms that draw day-trippers from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Back in the city, bartenders use it to lend nutty depth to stirred whiskey drinks or to soften bitter amari. Look for bottles in specialist retailers, where macadamia joins finger lime and native botanicals in a growing pantry of Southeast Queensland flavors.