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Welcome to Randy's Aussie Beer Page! Ordering beer is an important but complicated part of any visit to Australia. This page will give you the information you need to order beer confidently and effectively on your next visit. Why drink Beer in Australia?Australian beer is of a high standard and beer drinking is a favorite pasttime of many Australians. Americans in particular will be pleasantly surprised to find that high quality beer is available in Australia for reasonable prices. In fact, the worst beer in Australia is much better than a standard American beer such as Budweiser, and costs about the same. Also, the traditional Aussie pub is a good place to meet the natives and experience the real Aussie atmosphere. Finally, drinking beer is a good way to beat the sometimes searing heat in Australia. Who drinks Beer in Australia?Australians are great beer drinkers and most people enjoy at least an occasional "coldie". Legally, persons must be at least 18 years old to purchase or consume beer. Where to buy Beer in AustraliaIn Australia, take-away beer is sold at Liquor Stores or "bottle shops" only. Bottle shops can exist by themselves or can usually be found attached to a pub. Beer is not sold in supermarkets or convenience stores. Beer can also be ordered at some restaurants. To determine if a restaurant serves beer, ask them if they are "licensed". If they are "licensed", they can sell beer, otherwise they cannot. However, you can still drink your favorite beer at a restaurant if it is "BYO". If a restaurant is "BYO", that means they do not have a license to sell beer, but they will let you drink your own beer if you bring it with you. Some restaurants are"licensed" and "BYO" so you have your choice of drinking their beer or your own. Usually you will save a fair bit of money at a "BYO", although a corking fee of $1.50 (AUS) per person is not unusual. When to drink Beer in AustraliaAnytime is a good time to drink beer in Australia. Pubs are open at various hours and 24 hour pubs are quite common in larger cities. However, most pubs open at 10 am and close when business dies down. What kind of Beer to Buy in AustraliaThere are many beers available for tasting in Australia. The popularity of different beers varies greatly from state to state. Here in Victoria, the most popular beer is Victoria Bitter. Victoria is also the home of Australia's only "international" beer, Fosters. Carlton, Toohey's, and Castlemain XXXX are also quite popular. In Tasmania, the most popular beers are Boags and Cascade. Cascade Brewery is the oldest brewery in Australia (since 1856) and a tour of the brewery is an important part of your next visit to Hobart. The brewery is conveniantly located at the base of Mt. Wellington about 3 K's out of town. In New South Wales, Fosters, Castlemain and Tooheys are quite popular. "Fosters is a good beer, I will drink it if I can't get anything else. Tooheys is the main NSW brewer, though VB is very popular among some people. Personally I think Tooheys draught is as good as any."Bruce Lloyd, Aussie Beer Drinker and resident of New South Wales Wetern Australia is home of some fine beers including Swan Lager and Emu Bitter. The Swan Lager is named after the Swan River that flows through Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Emu Bitter is named for a large, flightless bird that is native to Australia. Queensland is home of Castlemaine XXXX. How to Order Beer in AustraliaOrdering beer at a pub can be quite intimidating for a non-Aussie. For some reason, Aussies like to give strange and confusing names to their drinking receptables. To order beer at a pub, you must tell the publican what kind of drinking receptable to put the beer in. These receptables are given code names which can be deciphered using the following chart. Feel free to print it for reference.
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| State | 425 ml |
285 ml |
200 ml |
| New South Wales | Schooner | Middie | Beer |
| Northern Territory | Schooner | Handle | n/a |
| Queensland | n/a | Pot | Glass |
| South Australia | Pint | Schooner | Butcher |
| Tasmania | n/a | 10-ounce | 6-ounce |
| Victoria | n/a | Pot | Glass |
| Western Australia | n/a | Middie | Beer |
Aussie Beer Terminology Chart
| Aussie | Translation for non-Aussies |
| Boutique Beer | Hand-Crafted Beer |
| Echo | Bottle of Beer (South Australia only) |
| Piss | Beer |
| Pissed | Drunk |
| Publican | Bartender |
| Quickie | Short stop for a Beer |
| Roadie | Take-away beer |
| Slab | Case of 24 Beers |
| Stubbie | Bottle of Beer |
| Tinnie | Can of Beer |
| Traveller | Take-away beer |
Do you have an idea for this page? Or do you have a beer-related question that is not addressed here? Have you found an error or problem with this page? If any of the above, or if you just want to say, "G'day!", shoot me an e-mail!
Email Randy: RandyMiller@bigpond.com