It’s a fairly well-known fact that Australians love their beer. In fact, they love it a lot! A recent survey showed that around 8, 000,000 Australians are beer drinkers throwing back just over 2.5 billion pints of domestically produced and retailed beer a year! Over half of that might be on New Year’s Eve, but who’s counting?
When Aussies drink they usually like to do it in groups in festive venues like the Sports bar in Sutherland shire where they can gather and raise toast to everything from their favourite football team to their best mates, it’s always a wonderful time! Let’s wander over to the bar and see what kind of pints the barman is pouring from those taps tonight, shall we?
Coopers – This Adelaide favourite comes from the largest locally-owned brewery in the nation. Coopers continues to be primarily controlled by the Cooper family and they brew a variety of beers, their tasty green-capped pale ale being the most famous.
Tooheys – In New South Wales you can bet that the locals will be downing that beer with the stag on the can! Founded by Irish immigrants back in 1869, this historic Sydney brand is still being brewed with loving care by the Tooheys Brothers in the suburb of Lidcombe today. They are well known for producing their smooth lager Tooheys New, the ultra-crisp and always refreshing Tooheys Extra Dry, and their formidable dark ale Tooheys Old.
Victoria Bitter – One of Australia’s best-loved and most iconic beers, the contents of the famed green tins of VB go by a number of pet names like Vitamin B, Victory Beer, and Very Best, although a few scoundrels who obviously can’t hold theirs down have been known to call it Vomit Bomb! VB is the epitome of a classic Australian lagers, the “hard earned thirst”, as their catchy jingle calls it, has been a best seller since 1968 and is still going strong.
Cascade – The pride of Hobart, this revered brewery has been making its signature premium lager for nearly two centuries down in Tasmania. Beginning production way back in 1824 it is the longest continuously operating brewery in all of Australia. “Summer” hops give Cascade Premium Lager its uniquely spicy flavour.
XXXX – The old joke goes “Why do Queenslanders call their beer XXXX?” and the punchline is “Because they can’t spell beer!” The medium-strength XXXX Gold stands tall as one of Australia’s most popular beers, but no one loves their “Four Ex” more than the denizens of the Sunshine State, where Castlemaine’s brewery in Milton has been brewing vat after vat of XXXX for nearly a century.
Carlton Draught – Carlton & United Breweries produces a whole tribe of popular beers, including VB, Crown Lager, Wild Yak, and Pure Blond, but the one that bears their name and has made the biggest mark is their incredibly popular Aussie style lager they call Carlton Draught. No pub in the land would dare open its doors without this perennial best-seller on tap!
Well, there you have it, if you are ever Down Under and develop a thirst you know what to order!