Aussie beer is the most OVERRATED beer on the planet!
The fact that the 'police' set up the first Brewery (see James Squire beer and not a bad beer at that though it is aquired taste) in Sydney (see Rum Corps as well) in an effort to keep the 'Colony' going (bloody bootleggers afterall) and now these days the Police (and the Media like some sort of religious Inquisition) are making an effort to supress alcohol and binge drinking n' all that. Tsk tsk.
Kinda ironic really.
The majority of Australian Beer is based upon the mass sale to your average alcoholic. VB or Victorian Bitter is a good example of a filthy beer that is cheap n' nasty and usually purchased by your local pissant alco who keeps a few slabs in the fridge to last a few days - if that. What do these guys know about taste of a beer when they need another beer straight after the previous five beers because they couldn't remember what it tasted like.
Tasmanian beer is probably the most highly prized of Australian beers when based upon 'taste' and I can only guess that the quality of water added is akin to the quality of New Zealand water. XXXX is ok (I remember being in Queensland, just leaving Airlie Beach at the WhitSunday Islands and the booze police had just pulled 15 cars previous off the road for 'over the limit', when he asked me and I was very tanked "Have you been drinking today?" I answered "Yeah - but I've been drinking XXXX!", with which he responded "Very well, move on". The look my mate gave me was priceless and it didn't take a second to do what the policeman asked. Luckily he didn't see 'New South Westies Rule!' written upon the far side of the car!
).
A lot of 'boutique' beers are emerging but none never taste overly different and fantastic for the disgusting price they charge. Tootheys seems to rule the middle-class and I believe Fosters does better in the USA. XXXX is now a 'foriegn' beer also. The Blonde 'low carbs' beers are popular these days.
In truth, the mythos of the 'aussie beer' has faded into the past a long time ago. If anything, a beer is used by teenagers to get drunk and laid on during a binge - its possibly the only thing kicking our population along at the moment.
Aussie Wines are a very well established market in comparison and Cider is the surprise winner out in front with even Pear Cider ripping a huge success in the 'drinks' market.
Anway,
I especially liked that new Speights beer 'Summit' ("here's to Sir Edmund Hillary!" a true legend of a man) but another of their beers tasted like coffee mixed in an ashtray with plegm to thicken it (here's to those NZ pine trees!).
I didn't get to taste as many North Island beers as the South Island, but I'm sure they're ok.
If NZ beer was given a 'fair go' at importing against aussie beers, i'm pretty sure the NZ beers would eventually win over the aussie public.
"BEER
"
s and my Aunty Tui in Otaki, the Tui Beer does have an average taste.
