VB goes retro. Made to a 150-year-old recipe, VB Original Ale is the latest from Carlton & United Beverages to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the old Victoria Brewery in East Melbourne by Thomas Aitken. Packaged in 375ml midneck bottle with a retro label, the amber-brown coloured ale is a heavy (4.6 per cent), all-malt brew.