The first beers
2 days · NSW · 3 Royals
Adelong, Tumut, and Queanbeyan, on a weekend in June 2022. Royal #1 is Adelong. The intro post had already promised the list; this is where the beers started.
Cory Loves Beer
The Royal Tour
One beer. Every Royal Hotel in Australia.
What started as a late-night idea somehow became a mission.
In 2022, Cory and John decided to have a beer in every operating pub in Australia named exactly “Royal Hotel.” There were 138 on the original list. Thursday Island was deliberately saved for last.
Explore the Tour ↓
As of Hughenden, QLD: 114 of 130.
Royal Hotel Narromine — “This is the kind of pub I had in my head when we started this whole Royal Tour.” Photograph by Cory Loves Beer.
Loading the map…
NSW 72 · QLD 17 · VIC 21 · SA 4 · WA 0 visited
- Done
- Still to go
- Closed
- Burned down
- Top 10
💯 Royal #100
Tiaro, Queensland
What began as boozy banter had officially reached triple figures.
6 February 2026. Eight of them, a highway pub, VB in the glass and Great Northern on the sign. The progress line that morning still said 100 of 134.
Read Cory's full story →
The cabinet
The Royal Honours List
Every great institution needs an unnecessarily specific awards system.
Legs
On the road
Same car, new postcode. Open a leg and the map follows those pubs.
Hunter, then south
3 days · NSW · 8 Royals
August 2022. Muswellbrook, Scone, Manilla, Spring Ridge, Murrurundi, and Singleton, then Wyong and Bowral. Manilla is where they first told a publican what they were doing.
The Parkes Loop & Light Beer Lane
2 days · NSW · 7 Royals
Late November 2022, written up by John. Cory previewed this leg under that name: Manildra, Orange, Woodstock, Lyndhurst, Mandurama, Carcoar, Blayney.
The Big Smoke
3 days · NSW · 9 Royals
Cory's name for the Sydney run in January 2023. Leichhardt through to Sutherland: the run of suburban Royals, including Granville at #25.
West of Sydney
3 days · NSW · 11 Royals
May 2023. Camden and Richmond, then the mountains and the gold towns: Springwood, Wallerawang, Capertee, Denman, Merriwa, Cassilis, Sofala, Hill End, Oberon.
Over the border
3 days · VIC, NSW · 10 Royals
November 2023. The first Victorian stretch, Benalla down through Daylesford, Meredith, and St Arnaud, then back across the Murray at Berrigan and Corowa. Dunolly and Inglewood (Vic) were closed on the way.
Surprise Royal country
2 days · NSW · 9 Royals
February 2024. Coolamon was the first Royal that was not on the original list. Then Grong Grong at #50, Mirrool, and on to Parkes.
Bungendore
1 day · NSW · 1 Royal
A single Saturday in April 2024. One Royal, then a gap until winter.
North to Dungog
3 days · NSW · 5 Royals
July 2024. Taree, South Grafton, Kew, the Royal (Inn) at Waratah, and Dungog. John wrote the Dungog post.
South Australia, then Portland
4 days · SA, NSW, VIC · 12 Royals
October 2024. Every South Australian Royal on the original list — Balaklava, Torrensville, Moonta, Crystal Brook — then the Murray towns and across Victoria to Horsham and Portland at #75.
Melbourne and Gippsland
3 days · VIC · 8 Royals
February 2025, with John's dad Rod. Essendon, Richmond, the Royal Melbourne Hotel, Queenscliff, Mornington, Ferntree Gully, Drouin, Koo Wee Rup. Footscray was closed.
Into Queensland
4 days · QLD · 8 Royals
April 2025, with Bert. Leyburn and Meandarra, then the bigger towns back toward Brisbane: Toowoomba, Gatton, Harrisville, Kalbar, Beenleigh, Nundah.
New England
3 days · NSW · 6 Royals
August 2025. Guyra, Tingha, Inverell, Casino, Tenterfield, Armidale. The biggest guest list of this leg was at Casino.
The century
3 days · QLD · 6 Royals
February 2026. Yarraman, Murgon, then Royal #100 at Tiaro, and on through Rosedale, Mount Larcom, and Mundubbera. Eight people at the hundred.
Central west, again
3 days · NSW · 8 Royals
June 2026, with Anthony and Ben on debut. Yeoval through Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Moree, Warialda, Tambar Springs, Mendooran, and Narromine. Four originals — Warren, Trangie, Boggabri, Binnaway — were struck off before they left.
North Queensland
2 days · QLD · 3 Royals
The latest published leg, August 2026, with Rod again. Ingham, Herberton (they had to wait out a closure that day), and Hughenden. Cory's tally at Hughenden: 114 of 130.
The Royal Tour by the numbers
- Visit posts
- 114
- Latest list
- 130
- Original list
- 138
- States with a beer
- NSW · QLD · SA · VIC
- Between pubs
- 16,584 km
- Average schooner
- $7.97
- Cheapest schooner
- $0.50
- Most expensive schooner
- $12.20
- Most common beer
- Toohey’s New
- Most frequent companion
- John
- Unique awards
- 114
- Days since Royal #1
- …
16 still to go, as of Hughenden, QLD.
June 2022.
Western Australia is still to come.
Straight line between the pubs, in order.
103 schooners.
Royal Hotel Essendon · Carlton Draught
Royal Hotel Bungendore · Balter XPA. Royal Hotel Horsham · Bungalally IPA
21 times.
114 Royals.
Adelong, 11 June 2022.
NSW
72
visited
QLD
17
visited
SA
4
visited
VIC
21
visited
WA
0
still to come
The Schooner Index
An extremely unofficial record of the cost of drinking your way through Australia.
31 August 2026 · Royal Hotel Hughenden, QLD · XXXX · $7.00
Cheapest schooner
$0.50
Royal Hotel Essendon · Carlton Draught
Most expensive schooner
$12.20
Royal Hotel Bungendore · Balter XPA. Royal Hotel Horsham · Bungalally IPA
When it wasn’t a schooner
- Royal Hotel Daylesford · Daylesford Lager (Pint)$17.50 pint · 3 November 2023
- Royal Hotel Bacchus Marsh · Holgate Chocolate Porter (Pot)$7.00 pot · 4 November 2023
- Royal Hotel Meredith · Balter XPA (Pot)$6.00 pot · 4 November 2023
- Royal Hotel Snake Valley · Great Northern (Pot)$5.20 pot · 4 November 2023
- Royal Hotel St Arnaud · Carlton Draught (Pint)$12.00 pint · 4 November 2023
- Royal Hotel Balaklava · Cooper’s (Pint)$9.00 pint · 17 October 2024
- Royal Hotel Richmond · Mountain Goat$18.00 pint · 14 February 2025
- Royal Melbourne Hotel · Balter XPA$17.30 pint · 14 February 2025
- Royal Hotel Mornington · Royal Lager (pint)$12.00 pint · 15 February 2025
- Royal Hotel Ferntree Gully · Balter XPA (pint)$15.60 pint · 15 February 2025
Who thought this was a good idea?
Cory
114 Royals
Writes the blog. Drew up the list.
Tours The first beers · Hunter, then south · The Parkes Loop & Light Beer Lane · The Big Smoke · West of Sydney · Over the border · Surprise Royal country · Bungendore · North to Dungog · South Australia, then Portland · Melbourne and Gippsland · Into Queensland · New England · The century · Central west, again · North Queensland
John
114 Royals
The other half of the 11:30pm idea, and the author of a few legs. Paddington hosted his heartbreak. Delighted at Spring Ridge, and keeping it on the inside. Bumpy boat trips are not his favourite.
Tours The first beers · Hunter, then south · The Parkes Loop & Light Beer Lane · The Big Smoke · West of Sydney · Over the border · Surprise Royal country · Bungendore · North to Dungog · South Australia, then Portland · Melbourne and Gippsland · Into Queensland · New England · The century · Central west, again · North Queensland
Anthony
36 Royals
Cool and vintage looking. The pub, not Anthony. Left Euston with a hat that dated the place to 1850.
Tours Over the border · Bungendore · North to Dungog · South Australia, then Portland · Central west, again
Bert
29 Royals
Not an overly promising exterior. The pub, not Bert.
Tours Surprise Royal country · Into Queensland · New England · The century
Jordy
15 Royals
Happy hour at Kerang was confusing, at least for Jordy.
Tours The Big Smoke · South Australia, then Portland
Rod
12 Royals
John’s dad. They took a father-and-son pause at the Porcupine lookout on the way to Hughenden.
Tours Hunter, then south · Melbourne and Gippsland · North Queensland
Big Al
9 Royals
Came up from the Central Coast with Mick and Matty J for Waratah.
Tours North to Dungog · New England · The century
Jase
9 Royals
Tours Surprise Royal country
Turner
9 Royals
John’s old mate. Wrote the Nundah post.
Tours Into Queensland · New England · The century
Ben
8 Royals
Debut at Yeoval. After Gilgandra, Cory wanted him on every Royal for the photos and the general good-dude-ness. Struck a Breakfast Club pose at Mendooran.
Tours Central west, again
Bull
6 Royals
Tours The century
Cam
6 Royals
Led the way into Yarraman.
Tours The century
Jon
6 Royals
Tours The century
Cameron
3 Royals
Tours The Big Smoke
Wendy-Anne
3 Royals
Tours The Big Smoke
Chelsea
1 Royal
Tours Melbourne and Gippsland
Hudspeth
1 Royal
Tours The Big Smoke
Kira
1 Royal
Kira the dog. She made the Leichhardt list.
Tours The Big Smoke
Leslie
1 Royal
Named, in quotes, on the Darlington night.
Tours The Big Smoke
Matty J
1 Royal
At Waratah with Mick and Big Al.
Tours North to Dungog
Mick
1 Royal
Came up from the Central Coast for Waratah, with Matty J and Big Al.
Tours North to Dungog
Nathan
1 Royal
Tours The Big Smoke
Nibs
1 Royal
Tours Over the border
Paul
1 Royal
At Casino with Tracy.
Tours New England
Rabs
1 Royal
Tours The Big Smoke
Sarah
1 Royal
Tours The Big Smoke
Tim
1 Royal
Lives on the Isle of Man, and had one demand. Bungendore became its own stop so they could get him there.
Tours Bungendore
Tracy
1 Royal
An old work mate. Turned up at Casino with her husband, Paul.
Tours New England
The final Royal
Thursday Island
Saved for last from the very beginning.
Saved for last in June 2022. Still no visit. Hughenden, the latest post, has the tour at 114 of 130.
Still to come