Beer & Booze
This is the country that developed the drive through bottle shop, so it’s fair to say the Australian’s take their beer very seriously.
When you do settle down for a hard-earned glass of the amber nectar, however, you will notice that the serving measures in Australia are somewhat different to elsewhere in the world.
The beer portions range from the outrageously small ‘middy’ or ‘pot,’ which is a mere 285ml, through to the mammoth ‘jug’, at 1140ml.
The more traditional measure however is a schooner at 425ml, which is around three quarters of a pint. Although some may scoff at the smaller measures at first, the summer months will come to show there are some very legitimate reasons for the more quaint glass sizes. The baking sun can turn a delightful ice cold drink into a luke-warm monstrosity in no time, so the smaller the measure means less chance you’ll have to suffer through drinking hot beer.
Traditionalists however, will be happy to know that most pubs and bars do still serve pints.
When travelling up the east coast, you’ll also come to notice that different states do have their own traditional brews. In New South Wales it’s Tooheys, in Queensland XXXX is the dish of the day, and in Victoria Carlton Draught and VB are the staple choices.
For those of you who are not beer fans, you’ll be happy to know that Australia’s east coast boasts some of the best wine-making regions in the world, in both Victoria and New South Wales.
That means you’ll be able to find high quality bottles of vino of all varieties up and down the coast. If your hard-up for cash, however, you may be more tempted by the delightful five-litre bottles of plonk on sale for around $10 – affectionately known as goon juice.
Random Fact:
Australia is the driest continent on Earth. So do your bit and drink beer instead of water.
 |
 |
 |