NT Draught
A lager known for the oversized Darwin Stubby bottle.
NT Draught is a lager made by Carlton & United Breweries, which is owned by Asahi Breweries. The beer is best known for being the original product sold in the Darwin Stubby, a very large beer bottle that holds 2.27 litres (80 imperial fluid ounces). First released in April 1958, this oversized bottle has become a well-known, if somewhat kitschy, part of Australian culture.
The story of NT Draught begins with Darwin's first brewery, called Darwin Brewery, founded in 1951 by Harry Ellis-Kells in the Berrimah industrial area, about three miles from Darwin's main post office. It initially produced four beers: Buffalo Bitter, Palmerston Dinner Ale, Darwin Ale, and Darwin Lager. Ellis-Kells left town in August of that year after losing a lawsuit to a contractor named E. Favaro, who was owed £359. The property was sold in 1952 to brothers Bernard and John Lyall Allen, who tried to raise money through a company to restart brewing, but the plan failed due to a lack of interest.
In 1956, Carlton & United Breweries set up their own Darwin brewery, N.T. Brewery Pty. Ltd., also in Berrimah. The first beer brewed there was Carlton Draught, on 13 October 1956. However, the brewery had no bottling plant, so bottled beer still had to be shipped from Melbourne. Because transporting bottles such a long distance was difficult, the company decided in April 1958 to introduce a much larger bottle—the 2,270 ml Darwin Stubby. At the time, most hotels in the Darwin area were owned by the Swan Brewing Company of Western Australia, which preferred to sell its own beer, so the Darwin Stubby was only available from a few independent hotels and licensed stores, mostly grocers and supermarkets.
In 1981, Swan Brewery and CUB merged to form Northern Territory Breweries Pty Ltd. Later that year, CUB bought out Swan's share, giving it full control of the Northern Territory beer market. The Darwin brewery closed in 1989, but NT Draught continued to be brewed at CUB's Melbourne brewery. In October 1996, CUB bought the 200,000-hectolitre Darwin Brewery in Winnellie from Goldchill Brewing, and began producing Victoria Bitter and Carlton Light for the Northern Territory in November. That brewery also made NT Draught in the Darwin Stubby.
In May 2015, Carlton & United Breweries announced that it would stop brewing NT Draught on a regular basis, due to falling sales and rising costs.
Quick Facts
- Brewery
- Carlton & United Beverages (Asahi Breweries)
- Style
- Lager
- Year
- 1957 / [http: · www.ournakedaustralia.com.au/brew-review-nt-draught/ Brew Review : NT Draught
- Abv
- 4.9%
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
NT Draught traces its origins to the N.T. Brewery Pty. Ltd., established by Carlton & United Breweries in the Berrimah suburb of Darwin in 1956. The first beer brewed there was Carlton Draught on 13 October 1956. Because the brewery lacked a bottling plant, bottled beer had to be shipped from Melbourne. To reduce the logistics of shipping bottles over such a long distance, the company introduced a larger 2,270 ml bottle in April 1958, which became known as the Darwin Stubby. At that time, most hotels in the Darwin area were owned by the Swan Brewing Company of Western Australia, which preferred to sell its own beer, so the Darwin Stubby was available only from one or two independent hotels and licensed stores, mostly grocers and supermarkets.
In 1981 Swan Brewery and CUB formed a merged entity, Northern Territory Breweries Pty Ltd. Later that year, CUB bought out Swan's interest, gaining sole control of the Northern Territory beer market. The Darwin brewery closed in 1989, but NT Draught continued to be brewed from CUB's Melbourne brewery. In October 1996, CUB acquired the 200,000 hl Darwin Brewery in Winnellie from Goldchill Brewing and resumed production of NT Draught in the Darwin Stubby there. In May 2015, CUB announced that due to decreasing volumes and increasing costs, it would cease regular production of NT Draught, though it would become a heritage beer with possible special runs.
Reader's Guide
NT Draught's significance lies primarily in its association with the Darwin Stubby, a bottle that has achieved an iconic, if kitsch, status in Australian folklore. The bottle was introduced in April 1958 as a practical solution to the high cost of shipping bottled beer from Melbourne to Darwin, where CUB's brewery lacked a bottling plant. The original 80-imperial-fluid-ounce (2,270 ml) size later evolved into a 2.25-litre format. For decades, NT Draught was the beer that filled this oversized bottle, and it became a distinctive symbol of the Northern Territory. The beer's production history reflects the shifting ownership and consolidation of breweries in the region, from the early N.T. Brewery to the merger with Swan Brewery and eventual sole control by CUB. After the Darwin brewery closed in 1989, NT Draught was brewed in Melbourne until 1996, when CUB acquired a new Darwin brewery in Winnellie and resumed local production. The announcement in May 2015 that regular brewing would cease marked the end of an era, though the beer's status as a heritage brand leaves open the possibility of occasional revivals.
Did You Know?
- NT Draught is the beer originally packaged in the Darwin Stubby, a bottle introduced in April 1958 with an 80-imperial-fluid-ounce capacity.
- The Darwin Stubby was created because the N.T. Brewery in Berrimah had no bottling plant, so bottled beer had to be shipped from Melbourne.
- In May 2015, Carlton & United Breweries announced it would cease regular production of NT Draught due to decreasing volumes and increasing costs.
- The Darwin brewery that produced NT Draught closed in 1989, but the beer continued to be brewed in Melbourne until 1996.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who makes NT Draught?
NT Draught is brewed by Carlton & United Breweries, an Australian company that operates as a subsidiary of Japan's Asahi Breweries.
What is the Darwin Stubby and why is it famous?
The Darwin Stubby is a 2.27-litre (80 imperial fluid ounce) glass bottle first introduced for NT Draught in April 1958. Its comically large size turned it into a beloved, slightly kitschy symbol of Australian drinking culture.
Where did NT Draught originally come from?
The beer traces its roots to Darwin Brewery, established in 1951 by Harry Ellis-Kells in the Berrimah industrial area of the Northern Territory, roughly three miles from Darwin's central post office.
When did regular production of NT Draught end?
CUB stopped producing NT Draught as a regular line in May 2015, ending decades of availability in northern Australian pubs and bottle shops.
Why do fans still talk about NT Draught today?
Because the Darwin Stubby bottle became such a recognizable piece of Australian pop culture that the name 'stubby' stuck in everyday slang, keeping the brand's memory alive long after the beer itself disappeared from shelves.
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