In 1904, Melbourne Bitter Ale was first brewed by the Melbourne Cooperative Brewery Company in Abbotsford, Victoria. The company was formed by a group of pub owners, with over 150 publicans as shareholders. Melbourne Bitter was distributed in several states and gained a reputation as a premium beer.
Victorians were known for their love of beer, and in the 1870s, the average per capita consumption was 84 liters per year. This led to the presence of 126 commercial breweries in the colony. However, in the early 1900s, a new Beer and Excise Act led to the consolidation of breweries.
Major breweries in Melbourne relied on “tied” pubs owned by the breweries and leased to licensees, which allowed the breweries to fix prices. In contrast, in 1904, independent pub owners challenged this system by establishing the Melbourne Cooperative Brewery Company.
The original head brewer was James Patrick Breheny, and the first beers produced at Abbotsford included Melbourne Bitter Ale, Abbot’s Lager, Abbotsford Stout, Extra Double Stout, Sparkling Ale, and Dinner Ale. In 1924, the company merged with Carlton & United Breweries, and the Abbotsford brewery became CUB’s only Melbourne brewery.
There are conflicting stories about the origins of Melbourne Bitter. According to Wikipedia, the beer was created by renowned brewers Jack Prendergast and Nick Deheer in 1936 and sold to Carlton and United Breweries later that year. However, some newspaper references to Melbourne Bitter predate that date, indicating a more complex origin story.
Melbourne Bitter was highly regarded through the 1930s and ’40s, with references in newspapers from states beyond Victoria. During WWII, the beer was mentioned in a letter from the front in North Africa.
In recent years, Melbourne Bitter has experienced a resurgence, being available on tap in selected pubs in 2015. This resurgence has been attributed to its appeal to those who reject the rugged masculinity associated with other beer brands.
