Not met anybody in Australia who drinks it so don't know what it is like here but I would imagine the one in the UK is brewed differently there.

A lot easier to be a non drinker in OZ than UK IMO. In UK a lot of socialising is done in the pub where in OZ it's done in your and your friends houses (if you get older and move to the burbs) so you have more control over the environment the socialising is done in.

In a lot of Australian offices the older people just head home (and probably drink there), where in the UK all ages drinking down the pub after work seemed a lot more common than here (depending on location, age etc) so by not drinking you would miss a lot of the bonding/gossip.

Yeah I probably only drank two tinnies of the stuff when I lived there,used to like VB a fair bit though!Starting drinking Pure Blonde when I was back there recently and that tasted like nats piss as well!Had to resort to Bundy and Coke which I must say is one of my old favourites!

Bundy and coke is great until you start getting a strange urge to bash the nicest person in the pub.

I've founds loads of really good Aussie beers. Wasn't exactly difficult.

Stay away from VB unless you like Carling.

I guess it depends on where and what beer you drink. I have been to several excellent local breweries in Victoria and I must say that I have been really impressed with the local gear. Obviously if all you drink is VB, Boags and Carlton Draught then sure you might not be that impressed. If all you have tried of Aussie beer is Fosters and Castlemaine XXXX in the UK then rest assured I don't think I have ever seen that in stores here.

I stand by my opinion that the quality and impact of a beer is greatly enhanced by the situation and the people I drink it with. In that case the beer here is freaking awesome. Sitting in the stands at the MCG watching a screaming AFL game with a crappy footy meat pie... even the worst beer can taste like nectar.

If you are really finding it that bad then may I suggest you get out more and try to experience something beyond Newcastle Brown Ale. There are good beers here and, in Melbourne at least, anything I would have drunk in the UK or Europe is also available. I probably drink 50% European, 50% Aussie and 0% British.

Al

Maybe thats just you?

That is soooo not true! I've not had a drink in over 6 years, spent time in Oz, UK and Southeast Asia and haven't had any problem at all socialising except the odd boring twat who just can't comprehend (or is intimidated by) someone being able to enjoy themselves without a beer. Personally I can't be arsed with the type of person who's going to class me as boring / interesting based on whether I have a diet coke or a lager!

As for Australia v UK (in my case Scotland specifically) for being a non-drinker - I prefer Australia, seems there is less focus there on the actual drinking & more on the activity taking place while the drinking is being done

So they call beer in oz piss?

No.....piss tastes better than most Australian beer.

Yeh but it only has a third of the calories of decent beer so you have to also expect a third of the taste surely. Same principle for all diet foods. Especially Rivita (aka corrugated cardboard).

I was only joking!

We only drank Pure Blonde because thats what friends/family were offering us?Seemed like the norm for them?After getting over the jetlag we went out and brought own booze!We're not heavy drinkers at all but we were on holiday,and as we had seen most of of it before,we were bored!

You need to get a few beers down ya, are you a scottish alkie?

So you have tried piss is it?