The NSW-born Tooheys brewing has notched up 150 years in business, throwing parties around the state celebrating all its brands – from Old to New and beyond.
On 7 September 1869, two Irish-Australian brothers, John and James Toohey, obtained their brewing license and began production at the first Tooheys Brewery, in Darling Harbour.
Their first recipe proved a lasting success – a distinct black ‘old’ ale, which has since been loved by generations as Tooheys Old.
The Tooheys operation soon outgrew the Darling Brewery, expanding into Surry Hills, before a major move to its current big purpose-built brewing facilities at Lidcombe, where nearly 150 people are employed and all the Tooheys for the NSW market is created.
It was at this site the company held its celebratory birthday party last night (5 September), with guests gathering within a staging area for commemorative brews and live music amid plenty of historic references.
The bar served the obligatory Tooheys New and Old, as well as Tooheys Country Special, which will soon appear in selected venues across the state, for the first time in over 20 years.
Also on offer were special edition 150th birthday retro cans of Tooheys Draught, triggering nostalgia of feeling “like a Tooheys or two” for many an attendee.
Tooheys devotee and long-time ambassador, the recently retired Doug May, returned to the fold to host the affair, ushering stories of working at the big brewer by several directors and in-house legends, tales of retail by long-standing client hotelier Stephen Speed, and vague recollections of RSA-questionable antics by former rugby league great Ben Elias.
“When I first started working for Tooheys, it was right at the peak of the ‘How Do You Feel’ campaign,” recalled May.
“Tooheys was the beer sponsor of every sport in NSW – from horse racing to cricket, surf lifesaving to rugby league, and even the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Every sporting victory was toasted with a Tooheys.
“Mateship, sociability, sport, celebrating, kicking back … Tooheys embodies all of these things with the added bonus of being number one in the state.”
Brand Director Amy Darvill echoed that Tooheys and NSW have always gone hand-in-hand.
“For 150 years Tooheys has had a beer for each generation and it’s a testament to the people of the state that the brand remains just as relevant today as it was all those years ago.
“One in seven cases of beer sold in NSW to this day is a case of Tooheys. We are so proud to be NSW’s number one beer – and the only major brewer with a footprint in the state.”
As part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, Tooheys will also host pub takeovers in regional centres including Newcastle, Port Macquarie and Tamworth.
