Controversy

[Daddles]

Coopers is an Adelaide, family brewery and has been for the last three millenia (almost). Their ales are very, very nice and their stout is quite drinkable.

Another Adelaide beer is Southwark which is a true bitter beer (unlike the muck they make in the Eastern states and call 'bitter') and has won world class competitions with it. Being a true bitter beer, it is a bit of an aquired taste and not for everyone and most people who complain about it usually choose to drink light draughts. Southwark also make a very nice Vintage Stout, about the best stout you can buy in a bottle (Guinness being the best on tap if you can find a pub that does it properly - pity Guinness is crap out of cans and bottles ).

The third big company, West End, used to be localy owned but got bought by the Victorians and the quality of the beer lowered accordingly. It bulk produces a draught beer that has a kick, goes down easily and is not for the fussy drinker.

When I lived in Squidly, I used to drink Toohey's Old and Reschs rather than New - that sort of gells with the preferences I've shown above , New being a draught and the other two darker, more bitter beers. Both these are available here now and it was interesting comparing them with the local product (side by side - ya gotta do these tests proppa ya know).

I should point out that my only contact with Victorian beers are their mass products as sold in our bottle shops and on tap in the pubs and they do not compare favourably with the local West End. Perhaps they loose something in the trip over here.

I did live in Brisbane and became familiar with XXXX there, but not overly familiar. It's in the draught family which, as you might have guessed, is not my preference. I've yet to discover the other Qld products.

For the Taswegians, we get Cascade here which is nice but a bit light for my tastes. However, my best mate drinks it and I always ask for a second and savour both.

One of the joys in life is going into a strange pub and seeing what beers they have. Similarly with festivals. It's always a delight to drink a famous foreign beer and discover that while it's nice, it's not as good as the local brew. The most interesting beer I've tried was a Chinese beer with a name like grumpy tiger or something. Made me suspect that the Chinese enjoy getting drunk.

Dammit, I'm going to have to get into homebrew again

Cheers
Richard

and anyone who wants to argue with me should first refer to my signature

[bitingmidge]

Richard,

Why didn't you mention Bundaberg Ginger Beer?

P
:confused:

[shaunburgess]

My much older brothers and sisters used to drink Stones green ginger beer, they got some latley as apparently it is having a bit of a revival in Adelaide. God it tastes like crap, and as a youngster i did drink Southwark Bitter (green death) and this stones crap is even worse than that!!!!!!:eek:

Give me a Coopers pale ale everytime, there is nice brew...

or Henikian genuine stuff not the crap thay bottle here!

[Daddles]

Richard,

Why didn't you mention Bundaberg Ginger Beer?

P
:confused:

Peter, I was sticking to the alcoholic stuff.

I discovered Bundaberg's Ginger Nectar back in the eighties when working in NSW. In those days, it was just one of those quaint things you found in the country, not something the toffs in the city would drink. We used to travel past a shop to get to the one that sold BGB. Lovely stuff. And the Horehound.

Thankfully, it's available in the shops here now, and the supermarkets. Wonderful stuff. Best Ginger Beer available by a loooonnnnnnnggggggg shot.

Richard
dammit, I'm thirsty now

[Daddles]

My much older brothers and sisters used to drink Stones green ginger beer, they got some latley as apparently it is having a bit of a revival in Adelaide. God it tastes like crap, and as a youngster i did drink Southwark Bitter (green death) and this stones crap is even worse than that!!!!!!:eek:

Give me a Coopers pale ale everytime, there is nice brew...

or Henikian genuine stuff not the crap thay bottle here!

Stones is a nice, warming drop, but rather syrupy - very much an aquired taste. Got a real, sneaky kick to it too. Very nice around a camp fire in the middle of winter. Half Stones, half brandy and you have a hell water that makes you forget your worries (coz ya keep sipping it).

If you are a pale ale man, I'm not surprised you don't like a true bitter beer. Southwark has one of the highest bitter quotients in the world so if you like clean and light, it's not likely to be high on your list of loves. But, for those of us who do like it, the imitators are mere imitations.

Heineken - I first tried this at a Dutch festival. It was nice but nothing special, especially when compared to Coopers Ales. However, it might have been bottled in which case I will reserve my judgement until I can taste it on tap.

We have an 'Irish' pub near me that does Guinness on tap ... properly. Man is it special. I can't drink the bottled version, and aren't all that impressed with the tins, but from there mmmmmmmmmmmm. Interestingly, how it tastes also depends on the bod who pours it. I was surprised one night when a snotty nosed kid poured my first pint and it was a disappointment. I put that down to the keg, but my second pint was poured by an experienced barman and it was nirvanah. Perhaps they changed kegs. Perhaps it was the kid's fault. Perhaps I was half tiddled after the first pint, but I doubt it.

Cheers
Richard

[Gingermick]

Have you tried the beers made by Belgian monks? Makes guiness look pretty lame.

[Cliff Rogers]

I knew Coopers was a SA beer but didn't realise it was made in Adelaide.

Anyway, they make several good beers.

I also like Tooheys Old & Bunderberg Ginger Beer but am not fussed on their Root Beer, tastes like sweet Sars.

[AlexS]

You simply cannot beat the taste of a James Squire Pilsner, Porter or IPA.

Yep, me great great great great grandfather makes a pretty good brew

Actually, he was a pretty good breeder, so probably half of Sydney can claim that relationship.

[craigb]

Well I'm not disputing that the origiinal James Squire was a top bloke Alex.

After all, to be the first person to brew beer on a continent has got to have a pretty good claim to fame.

However the current James Squire's is brewed by a seppo :eek:

Chuck Hahn in fact.

[Jack E]

James Squire doesn't do a whole lot for me, nor do Crownies.

I do love Coopers Pale, Corona's, Tooheys Old, and Hieneken.
That stuff made by monks at the Belgian Beer Cafe (Brisbane and I think now in Adelaide also) is great, go and try it.

As far as Cascade goes, the normal run of the mill Draught is the best. That premium stuff is only what they sell to the big island, nobody in Tassie drinks it, much like nobody drinks fosters in Australia.

I think the best way to start controversy with beer would be to say that VB was drinkable. How on earth that stuff keeps selling is beyond me :confused:

[silentC]

VB just happens to be my choice of the budget beers. When I'm not drinking Tooheys Old that is. Actually, come to think of it most people I know drink VB. We usually have Boags in the fridge but get a case or three of VB when we're expecting a big session.

[craigb]

Carona :confused: :confused:

You mean that girly drink with the lemon wedge in the neck?

[Jack E]

That's the one

[outback]

What angle should I sharpen my pancakes at?

[craigb]

25 degrees