I've just had a quick look for Aus branded ale/bitter on the net after another thread here went off on a tangent and ended up at beer (don't they all )

Anyway a bit of googling came up with Mountain Goat Beer initially - anyone know much about it? Is it widely available, and is their 'Hightail Ale' really as they describe it

Any comments, or any other recommendations?

Marko

Doesn't sound too promising yet Marko does it?

I know my son occasionally finds English Bottled Beers in some of the bottle shops in Adelaide.
First pint I had in NZ was Old Speckled Hen - Keg though:scared:

Someone must know

G

Lack of real ale does seem to be an issue for quite a lot of people. I can understand that as I adore it too and I wonder if we can do something about it. Is it feasible to ship it from the UK? My feeling is that real ale doesnt travel well and will probably be spoilt by continous agitation and temperature fluctations due to the long transportation, not that I'm an expert. I think it could be worth asking Gales, our great local brewery at Horndean.

The next problem even it will ship, is will enough Aussies be prepared to be converted as I dont think you will get enough Poms to make it viable.

I think our only hope is if we can convince a few Master Brewers that Austalia is a great place to make Beer.

I've got two lads both in their early 30's.
I brought them up 'proper'

They both enjoy real ale

When my eldest lived in Brisbane he shared a house with three australian lads.
He went to several 'Bottle shops' to ask if they could get him cases of Pedigree.
He was told the usual No demand,won't keep, too expensive, locals won't drink it, etc.etc.

One day we got a phonecall from him!
He had stumbled across a case of 'Old Peculiar' in a local bottle shop and he and his mates had drunk most of it and were half p*ssed. His Australian friends thought it was wonderful.

Alas he never saw any again although occasionally a case of Boddingtons or Old speckled Hen would appear.

Seems there is no market because nobody could be bothered to stock it

Will be an uphill struggle methinks

Anyway I've had three pints of Pedigree tonight

Cheers

G

VB - Victoria Bitter, a great Australian Lager

How come all the really important threads end up on page 7?

I am a huge fan of real ale and decent beer and I have been out here now for more than three years, so here is the result of my own research and some anectdotal evidence.

Aus stuff:
Go to a large bottle shop and have a look in the refrigerated beer section and you may well find some of the following around (decent ales do not seem that popular so you are unlikely to find them stacked up by the slab in the body of the shop). Small bottle shops or bottle shops in lower socio-economic areas are unlikely to be any use as decent beer is relatively expensive.

Roughly in order that I like them:

James Squires Amber Ale - reminds me of Old Speckled Hen

Coopers Vintage Ale - limited release once a year - if you see it - buy it.

Coopers Sparkling Ale - bottle conditioned so throws a sediment.
(Coopers do home brew kits and I have had some success with their "real ale")

James Boags Strongarm Bitter - quite strong - but, of course, not really a bitter so much as a bitter tasting lager - but let's face it, it is better than VB.

Cascade Four Seasons Autumn Ale - fresh from a trip to Tassie that was the current season ale by the Cascade brewery - and quite a pleasant drop. The chap that showed us round claimed it is available in Brisbane, but I have never seen it. Cannot comment on availablility outside Hobart - but even in Hobart I only found it in one of the 5 or so outlets that I visited.

Cascade Premium - yes, I know, it is a big wet girls blouse of a drink, but sadly, if you go out to eat, they often have little better and at least it does not taste like gassy horse p**s.

I do also sometimes drink lager - particularly when I need a thirst quencher during the day or if I am driving and need a light beer. I have found Stirling (Carlton 2.5% mid) to be acceptable.

Local Stuff:

There are also some micro breweries around and some of these do decent ales.

In Sydney try the Lord Nelson (Three Sheets, Nelson's Blood, Admiral Pale Ale) (I have tried) or the James Squire Brewhouse (heard of). For more info see the
Pub Guide.

As an aside, there is a very good micro brewery that I founbd in Aukland on a recent business trip. The brewer studied the art in the UK and brews English style ales. It is called the Galbraith brewing company, at 2 Mt Eden Road.

Foreign Stuff (which, of course, includes English beer):

I have seen a number of "English" pubs as well as the obligatory "Irish" pubs. If you have been in an "Irish" pub anywhere in the world then you know what to expect.

The English ones seem to vary - some have genuine English beer on tap - sadly it often seems to be Bass or Watneys or DoubleDiamond or some such gassy, mass-produced, dishwater-like rubbish. Others do have some decent ales - but sadly never a huge choice.

Old Speckled Hen is available on tap in a few and is available in (little) bottles at some bottle shops. In Brisbane it is allegedly on tap at the Pig and Whistle in Indooroopily. In Sydney there is a pub in Balmain that serves it on tap.

Also, there are Belgian Beer Cafes in a few cities. There is one in Brisbane (Edward Street - down towards the Botanic Gardens) and one in Melbourne (on St Kilda Road). Nice to get Chimay and Leffe and Duvel etc. on tap. I am pretty sure there is one in North Sydney too.


Cheers,



DagBoy

There's a Belgian Beer Cafe in Adelaide too, it's in Ebenezer Place in the city

Here's the website - http://www.oostende.com.au/





jib

Real bitters are rare in Australia...after all, Australia makes beer for Australians, not the British.

I get told the same thing here in American beer stores; if I want Australian beer, then go home. So, that's what I'm doing.

That's not stricly true.

Brewers make what they can make cheap and sell through advertising.
In America a lot of people got fed up with the 'big six' and the Micro brew revolution started.
My brother lives in Portland Oregon and the North west was the hub of real ale until other breweries realised there was money to be made out of 'proper beer'.
Now micro breweries exist all over the US.

Same would happen in Australia if the demand became such.
The main problem in most of Australia is the climate rather than the fact that Australians want decent beer. Hot temperatures do not suit 'live' beer. :lecture:

G

You're also messing with some very hidebound beliefs when it comes to beer and the introduction of new types in Australia. I worked as a barman for 3 years and I met a bunch of folks who'd rather be hung from the mizzen yardarm than deviate from their black and tans or their Wreckers.

I imagine the UK is no different.

Beer is to Australians what gun ownership is to Americans and it's not wise to mess with either.

Maybe
My son has lived in Australia for many years.
He has lived in Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney and his experience has been that whwenever some Decent English ale appears in a bottle shop it sells out almost immediately.

Some Australians obviously like the stuff.

Cheers

G

sorry m8 all i drink is beam black and tooheys new

Grayling, as Dagboy has said, some places can get it in, but dont necessarily stock it all the time. Some places may not get more, but if they sell out almost immediately, then I would guess thats theres a good chance they would get some more at some time!

Probably not much use to your son (Im pretty sure he doesnt live in Brisbane), but the chain of Liquor stores called The Grape up here in Qld stock Old Speckled Hen for example, not all stores have it, but if you ask, they should be able to get it. I've bought it at the Indooroopilly store. They are 500ml bottles from memory & cost an arm & a leg at around $75/carton, so its lucky that I love him alot, isnt it?

Theres also another one that Dagboy didnt mind as well, I think it was Tooheys Old?

I havent got a clue, it all tastes like sh*t to me .

Hooray!!!!!!!!

Chips with mayonnaise!

I just knew Adelaide was the place for us!!