$1.8 million investment to deliver a new Boags Brewhouse
The new design includes a brewhouse hall, tasting area, beer garden, and museum showcasing brand heritage.
What you need to know
- James Boag’s Brewery visitor centre is set to be relaunched as Boags Brewhouse after $1.8M upgrade, co-funded by Tasmanian Government.
- The new design includes a brewhouse hall, tasting area, beer garden, and museum showcasing brand heritage.
- The upgrade is expected to boost tourism with up to 29,000 extra visitors annually.
The name and design for the $1.8 million upgrade of the James Boag’s Brewery visitor centre has today been revealed, with the iconic visitor attraction to be relaunched as the Boags Brewhouse.
The Boags Brewhouse will be the new home of Tasmania’s much-loved James Boag’s Brewery brand and products, and a new tourism icon for locals and visitors alike.
It will preserve the heritage value of the existing building while including a new brewhouse hall, tasting area, redesigned beer garden and newly located Boag’s museum showcasing the iconic brand’s 143 year history.
The Boags Brewhouse will feature Tasmanian timber from the bar to ceiling, and its walls will showcase around 1,000 limited edition beer cans and bottles, as well as memorabilia from over the decades.
It will also include a new feature wall, which will capture the pubs of Launceston and their histories – so that at the conclusion of the brewery tours visitors know where they can go to continue enjoying Boag’s beers.
The upgrade is co-funded with $1 million from the Tasmanian Government, with Lion contributing the remainder.
Tasmanian Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson said: “Lion’s commitment to the James Boag’s Brewery Tours and Visitor Centre, while retaining all visitor centre employees, was made possible through the Government’s support package to improve the brewery’s visitor experience.
“This partnership underscores our belief in Boag’s ability to attract even greater visitation to Launceston, benefiting Tasmania’s tourism and hospitality sectors, and the local community, more broadly,” the Deputy Premier said.
“As part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, the Government is sustainably growing our tourism sector and this investment partnership will play an important role in meeting our goal.
“We know the tourism and hospitality sector is a major employer in Tasmania, providing more than 42,000 Tasmanians with jobs, including thousands in regional communities.
“By investing in our regional tourism offerings, we are helping keep the Tasmanian economy strong.
“The Tasmanian Liberal Government looks forward to celebrating the opening of the revitalised Visitor Centre in August 2025.”
Lion Australia Managing Director James Brindley said the investment would create a new home for the iconic James Boag’s brand and products, to help drive the next era of growth.
“From the moment visitors spot the eye-catching red neon Boags Brewhouse sign and walk down the laneway created by the two heritage buildings, they will get a sense of the old meets new that’s been at the centre of this project,” Mr Brindley said.
“This new design will honour the legacy of the James Boag’s Brewery, while strengthening the existing love of the brand with a quintessential Boag’s experience, deeply rooted in Launceston where it all began.”
James Brindley, Managing Director at Lion
“Lion remains committed to the future of Boag’s, and through this investment we are aiming to create an iconic new home for the Boag’s brand, and recruit a new generation of people who fall in love with its great-tasting beers.
“We also want to create a place that benefits the community and people of Launceston – somewhere we can all come together over a shared love of the James Boag’s Brewery and beers.
“Already, Boag’s is the second most visited attraction in Launceston, following the Cataract Gorge, and market research shows that the Boags Brewhouse could attract up to 29,000 extra visitors each year. These are additional visitors who will stay and increase economic activity for the businesses of Launceston – and particularly hospitality, accommodation and tourism businesses.
“We are proud to be the custodian of Boag’s, and we continue to invest and innovate as demonstrated by our successful launch of St George 3.5 – the first new Boag’s brew since 2018, which stands tall as the only Tasmanian-made mid-strength lager in the market.
“We are also continuing to offer free tours for Tasmanian residents, which have already seen more than 1700 locals take up that offer over the past year.
“We are grateful to the Tasmanian Government for their investment in the new Boags Brewhouse.”
Construction is expected to start in late February next year, subject to planning approvals, with the new Boag’s Brewhouse to officially open in mid-2025.