XXXX

XXXX (pronounced four-ex) is a brand of beers brewed in Milton, Brisbane by Queensland brewers, Castlemaine Perkins, a brewery originally located in Castlemaine, a goldrush town in Victoria, Australia. Its name, first introduced in 1924, is a throwback to the long standing tradition of using X's to indicate the strength of an ale.

The most widely known is XXXX Export Lager. It contains 4.8% alcohol by volume (ABV). Described as bland but palatable (with a distinct bitter aftertaste), its frequent imbibing leads to fierce loyalty toward the subject matter. Within Australia, it is generally only available in Queensland where it competes with Victoria Bitter and Tooheys New. In other parts of the world, such as the UK, it competes with Fosters.

Other products include XXXX Bitter (in fact a lager and XXXX Gold.

There is a joke that it's called "XXXX" because the Australians (or particularly, Queenslanders) do not know how to spell beer. (This is the politest variant on this joke.)

See also